The Oval Portrait (Summary and Analysis)

THE OVAL PORTRAIT

Edgar Allan Poe

Background of Writer 

Name: Edgar Allen Poe

Nationality: American

Date of Birth: January 19, 1809

Death: October 7, 1849 (At the age of 40)

He was a writer, poet, editor and Literary Critic best known for his poetry and short stories.

About this Story

Original Title: Life in Death

Genre(s): Gothic Horror

Publisher: Graham’s Magazine

Publication Date: April 1842

 

This story presents

Relationship between Art and Life

Power of Art

Power of Love

Aesthetic Beauty

 

Symbol and Setting

Setting: A desolate chateau in the Apennines which is the mountain range in central Italy

Symbol: Painting is a symbol of mortality of love and immortality of art

 

Vocabularies

Gothic – go’-thik (belonging to Middle Ages; old-fashioned; nonmodern)

Chateau – sha-tow (an impressive country house or castle in France)

Apennines – a-pu, nInz (a mountain range extending the length of the Italian penisula)

Valet – va,ley (a male servant who acts as a personal attendant to his employer )

Summary 

Characters:

1. Narrator 
2. Valet (Pedro)

This Gothic Horror short story The Oval Portrait has been written by an American writer Edgar Allen Poe. The main themes of this story are the relationship between art and life and the destructive power of love.

When the story begins, we find two people at an abandoned Chateau (Sha-tow) in the Apennines (a-pu-nInz) which is a mountain range in central Italy. Among these two people, the main narrator is a wounded person whereas the next one is his valet (male servant) named Pedro.

This story hasn’t provided us with background information related to the narrator’s incidents. The main narrator is unnamed here in this story.

 

Main Plot

When they arrived at a desolate (abandon) Chateau, the narrator wasn’t in a good state. He was desperately wounded. The valet didn’t want his master to stay in open air due to his wounded state. He took the narrator inside Chateau forcibly without anyone’s permission. They chose one of the smallest apartments of Chateau to spend their night.

The apartment had rich but decaying decoration. There were tapestries, trophies and paintings. The narrator kept on watching the paintings. While watching, the interest of the narrator increased so high towards paintings. He asked his valet Pedro to close the heavy shutters of the room. Pedro closed the shutters, lit a candelabrum (branched candlestick; has several lights) and opened the bed curtains for the narrator to study the artwork easily. 

The narrator found a book on his pillow of which there was a description of each painting with history and background. 

The narrator was thoroughly engrossed (engulf; devote fully) to read the book. His valet Pedro slept. He kept on reading the book till midnight. The position of candelabrum disturbed the narrator. He shifted the candelabrum himself without disturbing his valet.

When the light fell upon the painting in a corner that had previously been in shadow, the narrator saw an oval shaped portrait of a young girl who was just ripening into womanhood (recently married). The narrator felt a sudden impulse (urge; a sudden desire) to close his eyes. He did so in order to calm down and view the painting more clearly. When he opened his eyes again, he saw that his senses had momentarily deceived him and startled (surprised) him into wakefulness. 

The painting of the head and shoulders of a young woman in an oval frame startled the narrator because it seemed so life-like.

The narrator looked at the painting more intently (with eager attention) because he was so attracted towards the artistry and beauty of the young woman.

The narrator opened his book again and looked the oval portrait on it. He started reading about the particular painting’s history.

According the history of painting, the beautiful woman on the oval portrait was the wife of a passionate painter. The painter loved his art more than anything. One day, the painter desired to paint his wife’s portrait. She agreed to her husband’s proposal sand sat on a chair obediently in the dim light of torrent. She kept on giving a smiling pose for her husband.

The painter took a long time to paint her portrait. He seemed quite engrossed (captive; absorbed) in his task of painting which went on not only for hours but for weeks. His wife became frailer and more ill sitting on the chair. But she didn’t complain to see her husband’s pleasure in executing the portrait.

During the time of completion, the painter locked himself and his wife into the tower away from visitors so that he could focus on his task of painting. He didn’t realize that his wife grew paler as the portrait grew more lifelike.

Finally, when the painter finished brushing tints over eyes and mouth, he stepped back and stared at his painting and cried in a loud voiced, “This is indeed life itself.” When he turned his painting towards his wife, he found his wife dead on that chair in posing state.