Death

The specter of death hangs over the entire story, and Gifford’s disappearance helps to establish the creeping sense of fear, danger, and uncertainty that defines the story’s exploration of death. Towards the beginning of the story, the narrative establishes Gifford’s disappearance as the most pressing concern: “[Weigall’s] intimate friend…the man for whom he possessed stronger affection than for all men, had mysteriously disappeared two days ago” (232). Although Weigall attempts to maintain the belief that Gifford is merely playing a prank, the suddenness and length of his disappearance alert the reader to the possibility of genuine danger. On a symbolic level, Gifford’s sudden absence from Weigall’s life might reflect the suddenness and irreversibility that defines death itself. Thus, this disappearance sets the tone of the story and foreshadows the story’s later explorations of death and fear.

The flashback scenes...