The Oval Portrait
Edgar Allan Poe
Understanding the text
Answer these questions.
a. Where did the narrator and
his servant make a forcible entrance?
Ans: The narrator and his
servant Pedro made a forcible entrance in a desolate Chateau which was located
in the Appennines of central Italy. The narrator was seriously wounded. His
valet didn't want the narrator to stay in an open-air. He took the narrator
inside Chateau forcibly without anyone's permission.
b. Which special picture did
the narrator notice in the room?
Ans: The narrator noticed
an oval-shaped picture of a young girl in the room when the rays of candelabrum
fell on it. The narrator didn't notice it before. The young girl seemed just
ripening into womanhood in that picture. The picture of that woman was so beautiful
which attracted the narrator's attention.
The oval picture of a young girl
made him awake and too much curious. He kept on reading the history behind the
portrait in his serious state. He was totally engrossed in finding its
background through the book which he had found in bed.
c. Describe the portrait that
the narrator saw in the room.
Ans: The portrait that the
narrator saw in the room was quite artistic and life-like. The narrator saw it
when the rays of candelabrum fell on it. The portrait was oval-shaped with a
beautiful picture of a young girl on it. Its frame was richly decorative. The
young girl seemed just ripening into womanhood. The narrator seemed completely
startled to find the lady's shoulder and head with radiant hair so real. The
brushwork of tints in portrait seemed so real in the portrait.
The narrator felt a sudden
impulse to notice that portrait. He closed his eyes once and opened. He
couldn't believe his eyes to see such wonderful artistic creativity.
d. What is the relationship
between the portrait painter and its subject?
Ans: The relationship between
the portrait painter and its subject is husband and wife. The husband of the
subject (lady) is a passionate painter who has painted his wife's portrait. He has
Painted his wife's portrait taking many weeks.
Reference to the context
a. What is the central theme
of the story? Who is the woman depicted in the oval portrait?
Ans: The central theme of the
short story 'The Oval Portrait' is the relationship between life and art. This
Story has shown the destructive power of art and love. Art and love can lead
anyone towards perfection whereas they can bring destructive results in our
life too. The painter of this story has become successful through his artistic
works but his wife has become the victim of his artistic tasks. She loves her
husband extremely that's why she doesn't reveal her pains. The story has shown
bad results of excessive passion for something. The woman depicted in the oval
portrait is the wife of a passionate painter who has painted this oval
portrait.
b. "The Oval
Portrait" is a short horror story by Edgar Allan Poe involving
the disturbing circumstances surrounding a portrait in a chateau.
Elaborate.
Ans: This short story has
presented a terrible and gloomy setting of a desolate Chateau in one of the
mountains ranges (Appennines) of central Italy. The Chateau which we find here
in this story is completely deserted and very old fashioned. The setting inside
and outside seems very terrible. The apartments inside Chateau are so unmanaged
and dirty. The apartment where the narrator and his valet stay have many things
for decoration but all of them are in decaying state. The life-like portrait
has been placed in one of the dark corners. The surrounding of the life-like
portrait is so disturbing due to the unmanaged condition everywhere. The
arrival of the visitors also has added distance in the environment. The
portrait seems quite valueless in that desolate environment of the Chateau.
c. "The Oval
Portrait" suggests that the woman's beauty condemns her to
death. Discuss.
Ans: "The Oval
Portrait" suggests that the woman's beauty condemns her to death. Here,
the wife of the painter is so beautiful who has just stepped into womanhood.
The painter wants to paint her portrait. He is a quite passionate painter who
loves his artwork more than anything. He places his wife on the chair to pose
for him. He is totally obsessed with his artistic work. The Painter takes weeks
to paint her portrait. During his task, he doesn't notice his wife health
condition who becomes quite weak. By the time he finishes the portrait, he
finds his wife lying dead on the chair.
d. Discuss the story as a
frame narrative (a story within a story).
Ans: The frame narrative is a literary
technique that reveals about a story within a story. It starts with a different
plot and setting of story but later immerses out with the next story within it.
Here, this technique reveals us how a single story involves the next story
within it. The story starts with different information about the narrator and
his valet with a different setting. The readers here move along with the
Story's flow at first but later on the next story starts within it with an
amazing description of oval portrait, its detail and background information.
The readers reach up to the next level of the story. The technique of frame
narrative works showing a single story and the next story within it.
e. The story is told in a
descriptive style, with plenty of imagery and symbolism. Which images and
symbols do you find in the story?
Ans: Here in this story,
we find various images and symbols. The writer has used images to present his
horror elements beautifully here in this story where there is immense use of
darkness and light. The image of desolate Chateau in the Appennines has created
beginning thriller for the audience. Similarly, the image of two visitors in
the dark desolate setting has increased the reader's curiosity. Inside the
Chateau, the writer has used many images to present the setting of apartments,
torrent etc. Here, we find various images as dark rooms, wall tapestries,
trophies, the oval painting among other paintings, candelabrum, book, rays of
light etc. The historical background of the oval portrait also has presented
the image of the painter and his wife in a high torrent of the Chateau. The
perfect use of images has this story with gothic elements beautifully. Like
images, the symbols also have played a vital role to understand this story in
its deeper level. The oval portrait symbolizes mortality of love and
immortality of art. This portrait has snatched the life of its main subject
(painter's wife). Her love for her husband leads her to death whereas her
husband passion for artwork has snatched her life and made him immortal in his
artwork. Next symbol which we find here is the time during artwork. This time
during artwork symbolizes the painter's obsession where he has forgotten
everything around him and led his wife to the death.
f. What does the expression
“She was dead!” mean?
Ans: The expression was
dead" means the shocking moment of the death of the painter's wife on the
chair. The painter was quite obsessed with his painting. He was totally
engrossed in his task of painting. He forgot to inspect his wife's condition. He
kept on painting his wife's portrait for weeks. When he turned his painting
towards his wife being happy, he found his wife dead posing on the chair. Here,
the artwork took the life of its main subject.
Reference beyond the text
a. Do you think there is life
in art?
Ans: I don't think there
is life in art. Art is just a creation to display which has meanings related to
different things. But, in a literal sense, artists create life in art. They try
to find out life within the art.
b. As a thing of art nothing
could be more admirable than the painting itself. Explain.
Ans: This statement is
absolutely right about painting. Painting is really a very admirable form of
art. The painters really work hard to create quality paintings with meanings.
The painting itself speaks in its literal manner. Painting provides us with
facts related to life. Here in this story, the oval portrait is one of the
finest examples which has startled the narrator. He feels completely puzzled to
see that painting. He wants to know about its and painter.
c. A more intense look at the
painting reveals the illusion. Have you noticed any such painting?
Ans: Yes, I have noticed
such painting. The painting becomes more meaningful when it is watched by the
viewer who is passionate about paintings. But, for those viewers who don't have
an idea about paintings find illusion all the time. In my case, I watched a
typical painting for a long time but I didn't get meanings about it. I tried a
lot to grasp its meaning but vain. Later on, I got its meaning from my friend.