Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in The Little Stranger, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Science and the Supernatural
The Decline of the British Upper Class
Desire, the Unconscious, and Manipulation
Class Envy
Summary
Analysis
The next day, Mrs. Ayers does not want to talk about what happened in the nursery. When anyone broaches the subject, she simply says that she was acting foolishly, and will not elaborate further. Her response pleases Faraday, who takes it as a sign of recovery from a momentary psychotic break. However, Caroline remains convinced that there is more to the problem than her mother is letting on.
Mrs. Ayers continues to mirror Roderick’s behavior from earlier in the novel. However, this time, Faraday does not notice—perhaps because it is more convenient for him that way. After all, he will have a hard time marrying Caroline if he is busy trying to stick her mother in a mental institution.
Themes
While discussing the matter with Faraday, Caroline asks him if she can show him some books she has been reading. Faraday agrees and she shows him two texts, one titled Phantasms of the Living, the other The Nigh Side of Nature. Caroline reads several passages from the books, which talk about instances of objects moving on their own and strange noises that come seemingly from nowhere.
The whole time Caroline reads, Faraday rolls his eyes and thinks that she cannot be serious. However, Caroline insists that she is and claims that the books are works of science. According to one of the books, a poltergeist could be haunting Hundreds Hall. The book says that such occurrences happen when a person’s troubles are too severe for their unconscious mind to handle. However, Faraday does not find this claim to be an adequate scientific explanation.
Indeed, Faraday continues to deny the existence of paranormal entities, which, at this point, is a surprise to no one. Most likely, Caroline is not pleased with Faraday’s reaction to her ideas, and his dismissal is not helping his case to get married soon.
Themes
Faraday warns Caroline that if she is not careful, she could end up like Roderick, chasing after ghosts that are not there. Caroline disagrees and thinks that the poltergeist emerged from her brother’s troubled mind. Faraday decides they should go see Roderick if she is so convinced that this is the case. Shortly after, Faraday and Caroline make their way to Roderick’s institution and pay him a visit.
There are many unexamined and troubled unconscious minds in this story. Although Caroline suspects Roderick because his case is the most extreme, the same could be said for virtually every character in the novel, including Faraday himself.
Themes
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Roderick does not look like he has improved since the last time Faraday saw him. Roderick is nervous about the visit because he thinks Faraday and Caroline want to take him back to Hundreds. They promise him they have no intention of taking him back at the moment, but he doesn’t listen. Instead, he gets angry, and Faraday and Caroline have to leave.
Earlier, Roderick seemed to think he would prefer the mental institution to Hundreds, and while this is still the case, his lack of improvement suggests the mental institution hasn’t worked as well as he had hoped. In turn, this suggests that Roderick’s mental state isn’t the underlying problem.
Themes
Although he doesn’t believe Hundreds is haunted, the property still causes Faraday a great deal of stress. In the days following his visit to Roderick, Faraday notices he cannot focus on his work like he usually does. At one point, he even makes a minor mistake during a surgery. Luckily, Seeley is there to notice it and he fixes the error right away. Seeing that something is wrong with Faraday, Seeley invites him over for a drink.
Here, Faraday explicitly lets his experiences at Hundreds get in the way of his medical practice. Although it is not proof that he has been behaving similarly all along, it is a step in that direction. For someone who reverences rationality, Faraday is starting to come apart at the seams himself.
Themes
Faraday accepts Seeley’s invitation, although he is not sure why. Over drinks, Faraday begins telling his rival about how stressed he is over Hundreds. Seeley nods along as Faraday talks and admits that he has heard a lot of strange rumors about what’s been going on at Hundreds. He also tells Faraday that he knows Roderick is in a mental institution—apparently, the word has spread around town.
Unsurprisingly, the Ayerses once again failed at keeping their private business out of the mouths of their neighbors. Meanwhile, Faraday’s desperation has reached the point where he is willingly to talk to Seeley about his problems, a man he has not spoken highly of previously.
Themes
Faraday also tells Seeley about the incident with Mrs. Ayers and the nursery. After hearing the story, Seeley suggests she is suffering from hysteria, though Faraday thinks that hysteria alone cannot explain what he has seen. Seeley agrees and then states that the Ayerses’ biggest problem is that they refuse to change their lifestyle. He also describes the incident in the nursery as a suicide attempt, or perhaps a cry for help. Seeley thinks of Mrs. Ayers as a woman who craves attention, and her behavior in the nursery would give her just that.
Like Faraday, Seeley immediately seeks a medical explanation for what occurred, rather than a supernatural one. Additionally, he proves he is a sharp man, as he correctly identifies the desperation surrounding the Ayers family, as they attempt to cling to the past. This fits with the broader social context surrounding the Ayerses—people like them don’t fit easily in the postwar society that’s emerging, and that displacement would certainly cause anxiety.
Themes
Unsure of what to make of Seeley’s comments, Faraday switches the subject to the books Caroline showed him on the paranormal. To Faraday’s surprise, Seeley does not dismiss the books as quackery, as Faraday suspected he would. Instead, he takes their claims seriously, suggesting that what they say is a natural extension of the current understanding of psychology. Seeley wonders aloud about which member of the Ayers family could be responsible for the poltergeist. He even posits Betty as an option. Meanwhile, as Seeley speaks, Faraday wonders if Caroline is the one responsible for everything that has happened.
Here, Seeley demonstrates how he differs from Faraday. He takes Caroline’s theory seriously, which implies the reader should, too. His opinion even forces Faraday to reexamine his position, despite his previous stubbornness. Additionally, it is telling that Faraday’s mind goes to Caroline when looking for a culprit. If he thinks this way about Caroline, then perhaps he does not love her as much as he thinks he does. If so, this would imply that his excitement regarding marriage is about more than just Caroline.
Themes
