“I haven’t felt the cold for a long time”. Boundaries and transition in M. Bowen’s ghost stories

Abstract

   The article deals with ghost stories written by Marjorie Bowen. The legacy of this interesting author has seldom been analyzed by Gothic scholars. She wrote ‘scary’ stories characterized by meticulous details, masterly composition and historical background. Her characters are often from dysfunctional families (which often seems more important than the supernatural elements) and the descriptions are quite graphic for a ghost story. Bowen’s tales provide a researcher with a wealth of material concerning a typically Gothic theme of boundaries – between the male and the female (gender ambivalence), the living and the dead, the natural and the supernatural. They are almost intentionally devoid of ethical problems in the common sense of the word, skillfully crafted, and, most importantly, they first make the reader notice not only the traditional Gothic plot, but also the moments of transition when the characters reveal their true self, and in this respect they closely resemble psychological sketches. The focus is on how the characters react, how the circumstances make their inner essence clear – and against the richly detailed historical background. The above-mentioned features are analyzed in the following stories: “The Crown Derby Plate”, “The Housekeeper”, and “Kecksies”.