Haunted houses have become an own genre in literature. “The Haunting of Lamb House” seems a classical ‘haunted house’-story. It is a novel, written in 1991 by British author Joan Aiken, and it deals with the real-existing Lamb House in Rye, Sussex.
First, I will give a short overview over the real existing Lamb House in Rye (in the neighbourhood of Aiken’s birthplace) and some information about its inhabitants, which might be important for the story. In the analysis I will give a definition of the ‘haunted house’ and the whole genre that deals with haunted houses. Then I will go through the story of the novel and point out the impact Lamb House has on its inhabitants and the way the house is presented. Afterwards, I will have a look at the historic background of the story Aiken has written. In the conclusion, I will also try to find out if Lamb House (in the story) represents a haunted house and if the novel fulfils the criteria for being a novel which fits into the genre of the ‘haunted house’.
Table of Contents
1 Introduction
2 Lamb House and its inhabitants
3 “The Haunting of Lamb House”
3.1 The genre of the “Haunted House”
3.2 The role of the house in the story and its influence on its inhabitants
3.3 The historic background of the story
4 Conclusion
Objectives & Themes
This paper examines Joan Aiken’s 1991 novel, The Haunting of Lamb House, investigating how the author incorporates real-world history and literary conventions to construct a compelling narrative within the 'haunted house' genre. It explores the interplay between fact and fiction, focusing on the historical occupants of Lamb House—notably Henry James and E.F. Benson—and how their personal lives, family dynamics, and artistic legacies are mirrored in the novel's spectral hauntings.
- The literary definition and evolution of the 'haunted house' genre.
- Biographical and historical context of Lamb House and its famous residents.
- Analysis of the novel's three-part structure and its supernatural elements.
- The psychological influence of the house on its fictional and historical inhabitants.
- The intersection of real-life legends, family trauma, and ghost stories in Aiken’s narrative.
Excerpt from the Book
The role of the house in the story and its influence on its inhabitants
The first time something peculiar happens is in the first part “The Stranger in the Garden”, where Toby sees a ghost at the entrance of the garden just before his sister Alice leaves their home. He describes it as “a tall person, all in black like a priest, black stockings and shoes, a square boxlike black cap, and a big caped cloak thrown like a wing over his right shoulder” (Aiken 1991: 8). When he tells the servants, the maid Agnys cries out “The boy’s seen the Frenchman!” (Aiken 1991: 23) and tells the story of the Frenchman Morel, who had fallen in love with a local girl, but her brother had “conveyed to the magistrates that Morel was really a secret agent” and therefore “he was hanged as a spy” and “drawn and quartered, too” (Aiken 1991: 25). Later Agnys tells Toby that everyone who sees the ghost is cursed. When Morel died he said: “May any soul who meets me have a long life and a hollow one, empty for ever of his dearest hope. May he always seek and never never find” (Aiken 1991: 28).
Shortly afterwards Toby joins the company of Hugo Grainger, a young, sickly boy who lives with Toby’s uncle Allen. They are educated together and become close friends. Toby is happy: although he still misses his sister Alice and suffers from his older, rude brother Robert, he has found a true friend; the only thing that stands between them is that “I kept the ghost to myself; it was the only secret I had from Hugo” (Aiken 1991: 52). Because of their outsider position they see themselves as “two ghosts, nobody can see us” and “perhaps we are not here now, but will be in one hundred, two hundred years” (Aiken 1991: 56).
Summary of Chapters
1 Introduction: This chapter introduces the novel and its author, establishing the context of Lamb House and outlining the paper's analytical approach to the 'haunted house' genre.
2 Lamb House and its inhabitants: This section provides a detailed historical overview of Lamb House, focusing on its famous residents, Henry James and E.F. Benson, and their family backgrounds.
3 “The Haunting of Lamb House”: This core chapter analyzes the genre of the haunted house, the narrative structure of Aiken's work, and the specific historical legends woven into the story.
3.1 The genre of the “Haunted House”: This subsection defines the literary characteristics of haunted houses and their enduring presence in literature, film, and music.
3.2 The role of the house in the story and its influence on its inhabitants: This subsection examines the three distinct parts of the novel, focusing on how the house and its spectral figures impact the lives of the characters.
3.3 The historic background of the story: This subsection bridges the gap between reality and fiction by highlighting how real historical events, such as the fire in Henry James's study and local Rye legends, inform the plot.
4 Conclusion: This chapter synthesizes the analysis, confirming that the novel successfully fulfills the criteria of the haunted house genre through its skillful blend of historical research and creative fiction.
Keywords
Joan Aiken, The Haunting of Lamb House, Lamb House, Henry James, E.F. Benson, Haunted House, Ghost Story, Rye, Gothic Literature, Fiction and Fact, Literary History, Supernatural, Narrative Analysis, Family Dynamics, Spectral Hauntings.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the primary focus of this academic paper?
This paper focuses on Joan Aiken's novel The Haunting of Lamb House, analyzing how it functions as a piece of 'haunted house' literature while integrating historical facts and biographies of its former residents.
What are the central themes discussed in the work?
Central themes include the literary conventions of the haunted house, the intersection of history and fiction, complex sibling relationships, and the psychological impact of living in a house steeped in history.
What is the main research objective of the analysis?
The objective is to determine how the novel uses elements of the 'haunted house' genre to connect the stories of three different narrators associated with Lamb House across time.
Which methodology does the author use to analyze the novel?
The author uses a comparative and analytical methodology, contrasting the fictional events in the novel with biographical data of Henry James, E.F. Benson, and the documented history of Lamb House.
What topics are covered in the main body of the paper?
The main body covers the definition of the ghost story genre, a detailed examination of the novel's three narrative strands, and an investigation into the real-life inspirations behind the book's events, such as the fire in James's study.
Which keywords best characterize this research?
Key terms include Joan Aiken, Lamb House, Henry James, E.F. Benson, Haunted House genre, ghost stories, literary biography, and the synthesis of history and fiction.
How does the novel portray the relationship between Henry James and the house?
The novel depicts James's relationship with the house as evolving from curiosity to a sense of being 'caged' or threatened, mirroring the real-life difficulties and demons James faced during his time at Lamb House.
In what way does the paper address the distinction between the historical E.F. Benson and his fictional counterpart?
The paper highlights that while Aiken uses many real details about Benson, such as his séances and his writing career, she creatively integrates his real-life ghost story characters into the narrative of the novel.
What is the significance of Toby Lamb’s manuscript in the story?
Toby Lamb’s manuscript serves as the catalyst for the novel's supernatural events, linking the different residents of the house and representing the 'unfinished business' that fuels the haunting.
Does the author conclude that Lamb House is truly haunted?
The author concludes that while the novel effectively fulfills the criteria for a haunted house story, the 'haunting' is primarily an expression of the complex psychological states and creative legacies of the house's inhabitants.
- Arbeit zitieren
- Philipp Röttgers (Autor:in), 2015, The role of "Lamb House" in Joan Aiken’s novel "The Haunting of Lamb House", München, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/1189412
