The House on the Borderland · Chapter
II: The Plain of Silence explained
The narrator, an old recluse living in an ancient house with his dog Pepper and his sister, begins a diary to record strange occurrences.
What happens
The narrator, an old recluse living in an ancient house with his dog Pepper and his sister, begins a diary to record strange occurrences. He describes a vision where he floats through space to a vast, desolate plain lit by a dull-red ring of fire. The chapter establishes his isolation, the house's eerie reputation, and his first supernatural experience involving candle flames turning green and red, leading to a vision of the plain.
Themes in this chapter
Isolation and Madness
The narrator lives alone with his sister and dog, shunning society, and is considered mad by locals. His diary is a coping mechanism for his loneliness.
The Supernatural and the Unknown
The chapter details a supernatural vision of a vast plain and strange candle phenomena, marking the first clear manifestation of the unknown.
The House as a Threshold or Borderland
The house is described as standing 'upon the borders of the Silences,' serving as a gateway to otherworldly visions.
Characters to notice
- The Recluse
The narrator begins his diary, describing his life in the ancient house and his vision of the Plain of Silence.
- Pepper
Pepper cowers under the narrator's dressing gown during the supernatural manifestation, showing fear.
- Tonnison
Mentioned indirectly as part of the house's history; the narrator bought the house from those who had avoided it for over eighty years.
Key passages
“I am an old man. I live here in this ancient house, surrounded by huge, unkempt gardens. The peasantry, who inhabit the wilderness beyond, say that I am mad.”
The narrator introduces himself as an elderly recluse living in a dilapidated house, considered insane by the local peasants.
Establishes the narrator's isolation and the theme of madness.
“Without warning, the flames of the two candles went low, and then shone with a ghastly green effulgence. I looked up, quickly, and as I did so I saw the lights sink into a dull, ruddy tint; so that the room glowed with a strange, heavy, crimson twilight that gave the shadows behind the chairs and tables a double depth of blackness; and wherever the light struck, it was as though luminous blood had been splashed over the room.”
The candle flames suddenly turn green and then red, casting a blood-like glow across the room, signaling a supernatural event.
Describes the first supernatural manifestation in the chapter.
“Gradually, as I became more accustomed to the idea, I realized that I was looking out on to a vast plain, lit with the same gloomy twilight that pervaded the room. The immensity of this plain scarcely can be conceived.”
The narrator sees through the wall to a vast, dimly lit plain, marking the beginning of his vision.
Introduces the Plain of Silence, a key visionary landscape.