Memoirs of a Midget · Chapter
XXII explained
The narrator meets a mysterious stranger in the garden of Wanderslore, sharing a long conversation that touches on solitude, reading, and the haunting history of the house.
What happens
The narrator meets a mysterious stranger in the garden of Wanderslore, sharing a long conversation that touches on solitude, reading, and the haunting history of the house. The stranger reveals a tale of a woman who hanged herself there, and the narrator agrees to meet him again, leaving behind her book and Fanny's letter under a stone.
Themes in this chapter
Solitude and Self-Discovery
The narrator's solitary walks in the garden are interrupted by the stranger, yet she reflects on the peace of solitude and the new self-awareness his presence brings.
Deception and Self-Deception
The stranger's secrecy and the narrator's own romanticized view of their meeting suggest layers of concealment and self-deception.
Mortality and Memory
The tale of the hanged woman and the narrator's musings on flesh and spirit evoke themes of death, memory, and the haunting past.
Characters to notice
- Unknown (Narrator)
The narrator recounts her first meeting with the stranger, describing his appearance, voice, and the profound effect he has on her.
- Mr. Anon
The mysterious stranger who has been watching the narrator; he speaks of secrecy, evil spirits, and the house's dark legend.
- Fanny Bowater
Mentioned in the narrator's thoughts as she reflects on Fanny's face and recalls their shared moments; Fanny's letter remains hidden under a stone.
- Mrs. Bowater
The narrator thinks of Mrs. Bowater's biscuits and her inability to explain the house's vacancy; she is warmly remembered at the chapter's end.
- Mr. Crimble
Briefly referenced in the narrator's thoughts as 'the dark bark of Mr. Crimble tossing in jeopardy.'
Key passages
“What had I to conceal? Of my short history, though not of myself, I told him freely; yet asked him few questions in return.”
I shared my past openly but withheld my inner self, and I did not press him for his own story.
The narrator reveals her selective openness and the imbalance in their exchange.
“There was a tale about, that many years ago a woman had hanged herself in one of its upper rooms.”
A story circulated that a woman once committed suicide by hanging in an upstairs room of the house.
The stranger recounts the house's dark legend, deepening the Gothic atmosphere.
“He made a movement with his hands; at which I saw the poor creature up there in the darkness, suspended lifeless, poor, poor human, with head awry.”
His gesture made me vividly imagine the hanged woman, a pitiful figure in the dark.
The narrator's imagination is powerfully triggered by the stranger's simple motion.
“I promised to come again to meet him on the very first fine morning that showed.”
I agreed to return and see him as soon as the weather was fair.
The narrator commits to a future meeting, signaling her growing fascination.