Short Story Analysis: A Haunted House

I. A Haunted House
by Virginia Woolf

II. SYNOPSIS

         Two ghosts, a male and a female, a couple, go around their former house searching for some buried treasure. In the end, they realize that the real treasure is actually "the light in the heart," the love of a certain partner for the other partner.

III. SHORT STORY ELEMENTS

A. CHARACTERS

          There are only two characters in this short story (although there is mention about the living couple who currently occupies the house), the male and the female ghosts, both protagonists, both flat and static.

B. PLOT

a) Introduction

          This short story takes place in a house where two ghosts, a couple, used to live.

b) Rising Action

           The couple-ghosts think that the present living occupants of their former house have already found the buried treasure that they are looking for.

c) Climax

           The ghosts are still searching for their treasure and they are wondering whether it is in the garden.

d) Falling action

           Realizing that the treasure was not found by the house’s present occupants, the ghosts are relieved that it is safe, and such treasure is really theirs.

e) Denouement

           Finally, the ghosts know that the treasure is really safe, and theirs, and such treasure is not tangible things, but intangible, found in the light in the heart.

C. SETTING

a) place – in a house formerly owned by a ghost couple

b) time- a long time ago

c) weather conditions- fine

d) social conditions- the ghosts led a comfortable life when they were still alive

e) mood or atmosphere- light

D. POINT OF VIEW

         The Point of View used in this short story is the Omniscient Limited - The author tells the story in third person (using pronouns they, she, he, it, etc). We know only what the character knows and what the author allows him/her to tell us. We can see the thoughts and feelings of characters if the author chooses to reveal them to us.

E. LITERARY DEVICES

         In my opinion, the literary devices used in this story are Symbolism and Irony. The treasure mentioned by the ghosts here is not tangible, it is just a symbol. Irony because the title sounds scary, but the actual story is not.

F. THEME

         For me, the theme Things are not always as they appear to be is applicable to this story.

G. CONFLICT

         The conflict here is Internal, that of Man (or ghost, to that matter)vs. Himself, as each of the ghosts here is frantically searching for the said treasure around their former house, afraid that the new occupants have found it. --ARV