(Four) Stories Of The Seen And Unseen, "The Portrait"
Dublin Core
Title
(Four) Stories Of The Seen And Unseen, "The Portrait"
Description
The following is the story that comes before 'The Library Window' by Magaret Marie Oliphant. The story was published in the collection of stories that Oliphant had organized in 1902 along with three other stories called 'Stories Of The Seen And Unseen'.
The story follows the perspective of Phillip Manning, a guy who left his home in an attempt to establish himself elsewhere only to meet some bad fortune. He decided to go back home to visit his father and noticed that his father had started to become 'consumed with his work', occupying himself with his profession and not having spare time to spend with his newly returned son. This along with an incident that he determined was involved with one of his father's workers prompted him to take on a position with his father.
Soon after this we then get to see the portrait and learn that it is a picture of his mother, a figure that the son never get to saw in life. She died young, and through her relatives his father was able to acquire it and kept it in his study. The portrait is given life-like qualities to it which both he and his father pick up on. And later in the story, it is determined that a spirit has come to possess Phillip. The experience with the supernatural came after learning about the portrait, and while at first they contact medical people in an attempt to solve the issue it is determined that he is healthy. Therefore, through this experience with the spirit that yearns for life Phillip gets to meet his mother. The story itself can be used as a means of discussing how portraits bring people 'to life', and how regardless of time their appearance will always remain the same. This theme is made more evident when Phillip's father mentions how much times have changed since he last saw her and how he is now an old man in comparison.
The story follows the perspective of Phillip Manning, a guy who left his home in an attempt to establish himself elsewhere only to meet some bad fortune. He decided to go back home to visit his father and noticed that his father had started to become 'consumed with his work', occupying himself with his profession and not having spare time to spend with his newly returned son. This along with an incident that he determined was involved with one of his father's workers prompted him to take on a position with his father.
Soon after this we then get to see the portrait and learn that it is a picture of his mother, a figure that the son never get to saw in life. She died young, and through her relatives his father was able to acquire it and kept it in his study. The portrait is given life-like qualities to it which both he and his father pick up on. And later in the story, it is determined that a spirit has come to possess Phillip. The experience with the supernatural came after learning about the portrait, and while at first they contact medical people in an attempt to solve the issue it is determined that he is healthy. Therefore, through this experience with the spirit that yearns for life Phillip gets to meet his mother. The story itself can be used as a means of discussing how portraits bring people 'to life', and how regardless of time their appearance will always remain the same. This theme is made more evident when Phillip's father mentions how much times have changed since he last saw her and how he is now an old man in comparison.
Creator
Oliphant, Margaret Marie
Publisher
William Blackwood And Sons
Date
1902
Contributor
archive.org
Rights
archive.org
Format
Folio, 67 pages
Type
Book
Files
Citation
Oliphant, Margaret Marie, “(Four) Stories Of The Seen And Unseen, "The Portrait",” Manhattan College Omeka , accessed November 22, 2024, https://omeka-pilot.manhattan.edu/items/show/456.