Section II : Literature
Unit - 1 Short Stories
Class 11 English
Chapter - 2
The Oval Portrait
Summary
Answer 👉
The protagonist of the story is a desperately wounded individual who is seeking shelter in a remote chateau in the Appennines. The valet enters the chateau to secure a place for the protagonist to stay while he recovers. They settle in a small, antiquely furnished apartment in a remote turret of the building. The walls of the room are covered in tapestry and adorned with armorial trophies and modern paintings. The protagonist takes a deep interest in these paintings and asks his valet to close the shutters, light the candles, and open the curtains so that he can alternate between reading a small volume that describes the paintings and admiring them. As the night progresses, the protagonist moves the candelabrum to throw more light on the book and in doing so, he notices a portrait of a young girl that he had not seen before.
The portrait is in the vignette style and captures the likeness of the young girl in such a way that it appears to be alive. The protagonist is so moved by the painting that he falls into a deep contemplation, trying to understand why it has such an effect on him. Eventually, he realizes that the spell of the painting is in its lifelike expression, which both startled and frightened him. He replaces the candelabrum and turns to the volume to read more about the painting and its history. The volume reveals that the young girl was a rare beauty who fell in love and married the painter, who was passionate, studious, and already engaged to his Art. The protagonist eventually falls back into the bed, still in awe of the portrait and its spellbinding effect.
Answer these questions.
a. Where did the narrator and his servant make forcible entrance?
Answer 👉 The narrator and his servant made a forcible entrance in a desolate Chateau which was located in the Apennines of central Italy.
b. Which special picture did the narrator notice in the room?
Answer 👉 The narrator noticed an oval-shaped picture of a young girl in the room.
c. Describe the portrait that the narrator saw in the room.
Answer 👉 The portrait was in an oval-shaped frame. It revealed the head and shoulders of the young woman. The arms, the bosom, and even the ends of the radiant hair dissolved untraceably into the unclear yet deep shadow which formed the background of the whole.
d. What is the relationship between the portrait painter and its subject?
Answer 👉 The relationship between the portrait painter and its subject is of Husband and wife.
In reference to the context
a. What is the central theme of the story? Who is the woman depicted in the oval portrait?
Answer 👉 The central theme of "The Oval Portrait" is the idea of art and its relation to life. The woman depicted in the oval portrait is not explicitly named in the story, but is described as being extremely beautiful and causing her husband, the artist, to become obsessed with capturing her likeness.
b. "The Oval Portrait" is a short horror story by Edgar Allan Poe involving the disturbing circumstances surrounding a portrait in a chateau. Elaborate.
Answer 👉 The story begins with a narrator and his servant seeking refuge from a storm in a dilapidated chateau. They discover a room with a single painting, an oval portrait of a beautiful woman. As they observe the painting, the narrator becomes fixated on the woman's face and begins to feel a sense of unease. He eventually discovers that the woman in the portrait died as a result of her husband's obsession with capturing her beauty, and the portrait was painted after her death. The story ends with the narrator collapsing in front of the portrait, just as the woman's face appears to change and she seems to be alive again.
c. "The Oval Portrait" suggests that the woman's beauty condemns her to death. Discuss.
Answer 👉 The story suggests that the woman's beauty ultimately leads to her death. The artist becomes so consumed with capturing her likeness that he neglects her health, and she eventually dies as a result. The portrait is then painted after her death, but even in death, she continues to be a source of obsession for others.
d. Discuss the story as a frame narrative (a story within a story).
Answer 👉 "The Oval Portrait" is a frame narrative, with the main story of the narrator and his servant discovering the portrait being framed within the story of the woman's life and death. This structure serves to create a sense of mystery and unease, as the reader is gradually revealed more about the circumstances surrounding the portrait.
e. The story is told in a descriptive style, with plenty of imagery and symbolism. Which images and symbols do you find in the story?
Answer 👉 Some of the images and symbols in the story include the chateau, which symbolizes decay and neglect; the oval portrait, which symbolizes the artist's obsession with beauty and his disregard for life; and the veil, which symbolizes death and concealment.
f. What does the expression “She was dead!” mean?
Answer 👉 The expression "She was dead!" is a statement of fact, indicating that the woman in the portrait had died. This statement is significant because it marks the moment when the narrator realizes the true horror of the situation, and underscores the theme of the destructive nature of obsession with beauty and art.
Reference beyond the text
a. Do you think there is life in art?
Answer 👉 Whether or not there is "life in art" is a philosophical question and a matter of interpretation. Some people might argue that art has the power to capture a moment or emotion in a way that transcends physical reality, while others might believe that art is simply a representation of the world and can never truly contain life.
b. As a thing of art nothing could be more admirable than the painting itself. Explain.
Answer 👉 The statement that "as a thing of art nothing could be more admirable than the painting itself" suggests that the speaker admires the painting for its aesthetic qualities, such as its technique, composition, and beauty. In this sense, the speaker values the painting as a work of art above other considerations.
c. A more intense look at the painting reveals the illusion. Have you noticed any such painting?
Answer 👉 The idea that a more intense look at a painting reveals an illusion is a common theme in the discussion of art. Some people believe that the illusion of reality created by art is just that - an illusion - and that a deeper examination of the work reveals its true nature as a representation. Others might argue that the illusion of reality created by art is one of its most valuable aspects, as it has the power to transport the viewer to another place and time. Whether or not one has noticed a specific painting that reveals an illusion depends on their individual experiences and perceptions.
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