The Place Called Dagon · Chapter
II explained
Doctor Dreeme is summoned to the Westcott farm to treat Jeffrey Westcott's gunshot wound.
What happens
Doctor Dreeme is summoned to the Westcott farm to treat Jeffrey Westcott's gunshot wound. He travels through the dark, rain-threatening night with a silent boy guide, passing the burned mill and crossing the Saccarac River. Upon arrival, he is led to a rear door, locked inside the farmhouse, and directed by the hired man Wagner to Westcott's room. The chapter also describes the gloomy, decrepit farmhouses of Marlborough, hinting at the valley's mysterious history.
Themes in this chapter
Decay and Deterioration
The farmhouses are described as 'dejected and wrecked by weather,' with 'sunken' doors and windows, reflecting the physical and moral decay of the community.
Isolation and Community Secrecy
The night journey through a dark, silent landscape and the locked doors of the Westcott farm emphasize the secrecy and isolation of the valley's inhabitants.
Characters to notice
- Doctor Dreeme
Travels to the Westcott farm at night to treat a gunshot wound; observes the dark, oppressive atmosphere of the valley.
- Wagner
The hired man at the Westcott farm; lets Dreeme in, leads him to Westcott's room, and is later found murdered.
- Jeffrey Westcott
The injured man; has shot himself (as Dreeme learns) and is awaiting treatment.
Key passages
“Dreeme tripped over unsuspected hollows and small jutting boulders until they circled the dark bulk of the house and were at a rear door.”
Dreeme stumbled along the uneven path, eventually making his way around the dark house to the back entrance.
Highlights the difficulty and darkness of the approach to the farm.
“The building stood morosely in a pool of high trees and this intensified the darkness about it.”
The house was surrounded by tall trees, making the darkness even more oppressive.
Sets a gloomy, foreboding tone for the chapter.