The Case of Charles Dexter Ward | Topics for Discussion & Projects

The Case of Charles Dexter Ward Key Questions

The Case of Charles Dexter Ward offers some excellent opportunities for discussion. The direction a discussion will take will probably depend on whether discussion-group members are avid readers of Lovecraft or not. If the group is well acquainted with Lovecraft's writings, the discussion can turn to the matter of where The Case of Charles Dexter Ward fits into Lovecraft's world view, where it fits into his literary canon, and where it ranks among Lovecraft's achievements. The themes dealing with book learning, history, and rationality are common in Lovecraft and are given some of their fullest development in this particular novel.

Why the persistent emphasis on the acquisition of knowledge through reading? How does the triumph of rationality of the conclusion compare with "The Dunwich Horror" and other narratives of the battle between scientific rationality and supernatural evil? Why does Lovecraft present an ambivalent portrait of the value of...
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