Given the dark setting and even shadier account of events, the reader could be forgiven for thinking that the tale has an eerie or even paranormal twist to it. The story however takes a different direction in the final paragraph by telling a separate story, a story within a story. At this point, the reader could legitimately question the relevance of this digression especially since the ‘new’ story appears to stop abruptly. A closer reading of the story offers evidence that the major story here is not really about the tired narrator at all, but about the girl in the portrait and her artist husband. Looking closely we also see that there are three narrators at work in this story. The first is the primary narrator, the narrator of the book he is reading and the writer of the excerpt who explains the origin of the portrait. The identity of the last narrator is unknown and we can only hazard a guess as to his character or indeed his relevance.
Although a different person narrates the last paragraph, it is still important to note that the incidents that are being described are being related to us by the tired man who remains unnamed throughout. Poe seems to take great care to make us aware of the poor physical state of this character. He uses words like “wounded” and “delirium” to describe his condition. His incapacity to remain conscious for long periods is also highlighted in various parts not least when he first catches sight of the portrait. These descriptions of the character act as a subtle warning to the reader not to take the events that unfold for granted. One is inclined to think that because of the narrator’s ailing state, the credence of his observations should be questioned. The narrator says in the fourth paragraph "..the first flashing of the candles upon that canvas seemed to dissipate the dreamy stupor which was stealing over my senses". Considering that the narrator is in a semi-conscious condition we see that his perception of the portrait might well be clouded. The reader must share the same cloudy perception and inevitably we are forced into his hazy point of view. This uncertainty, both on the part of the narrator and of the reader, thus leads to various interpretations about the conclusion of the story. This is what makes Poe’s tale so appealing. The reader is left to decipher and guess at the nature of the depicted images, a feeling akin to one being placed in a dark or poorly lit place. Poe has successfully managed to put us directly in the position of his narrator. We see things the way he wants us to see them. The narrator is so captivated by the picture, that it only adds to the dream-like sequence he already finds himself in. Where he says he first finds the picture "startling" he then admits to being "confounded", "subdued" and "appalled" all at once. We learn early on in this story that the narrator’s view is somewhat distorted.
It is with this clouded judgement that we approach the 'story within a story' within the last paragraph and it opens itself to various interpretations and ideas. The lady in the picture is certainly depicted as a tragic character and the motives of her husband in creating the masterpiece that kills her are subject to scrutiny. Bearing in mind the quality of the portrait and its life-like appeal, one must ask whether the lady is truly dead. In reproducing his wife's beautiful features on canvas, the artist has immortalised her in a perverse sense. The sheer brilliance of the painting has prolonged her exquisite features. Very much like the artist in Ibsen's When We Dead Awake he has sacrificed his love for the sake of his Art. It may appear that the artist did not love his wife enough to notice her poor physical condition. However his ambition to celebrate her beauty can be perceived as the ultimate tribute. It is certainly true that the artist had neglected his wife, but it cannot be denied that he had the utmost respect for her beauty. It is the juxtaposition of this neurotic obsession with his work and the reverence of his wife's beauty that make the artist so detached from reality, unable and unwilling to observe all that is around him. The message here appears to be that in order to recapture her beauty or the semblance of "beauty", real life must suffer. Hence the wife must die, because she is beautiful. It seems regrettable that the wife is merely a symbol or representation of beauty.
In keeping with approaching this story with various perspectives, there is perhaps a supernatural maybe gothic slant that may be used in tackling it. It has been established that the artist is responsible for his lover's death. Yet it is not perfectly clear whether he is aware that his actions would ultimately lead to her death. He is a murderer definitely, but are his intentions to take his wife's life away? It does not seem too implausible to suggest that Poe wants us to regard the artist as some kind of vampire or taker of life. Poe has certainly provided us with a number of elements to draw such a conclusion. Male vampires are invariably attracted to beautiful women and are portrayed as brooding and enigmatic creatures as is the artist. He has also succeeded in gradually sucking his wife's life away yet he presumably doesn't feel he has killed her. He proclaims that his portrait is "life itself", suggesting that it is far more real to him than the presence of his wife. His fascination with his work can be likened to a blood lust. By reproducing her countenance on canvas, he has robbed her of life while managing to keep her immortal at the same time. She is destined to remain 'undead', to use vampire terminology. The artist has drained the life from his wife whilst simultaneously immortalising her just like a true vampire. For his neglect and apparent intent, the artist may be seen as a cold and heartless villain.
The story in the last paragraph also has an ominous tone to it. It is sending out a potential warning about the pitfalls of obsessing about beauty. There is a clear indication that Poe is questioning the morality of the artist’s real love, his wife or her beauty. He seems to be speaking out against the ills of attempting to preserve beauty rather than just allowing it to blossom and then die. The death of the artist’s wife is depicted as a premature and unnatural one. Could Poe be making a comment about the paradoxically destructive quality of Art? The artist in his story has certainly created a masterpiece but at what cost? Poe may be suggesting that for Art to prosper, life must suffer. This is a very Platonic stance and gives the artist a tag of some kind of creative destroyer. This inexorable blending of life, death and creation is largely depicted in this tale.
In “The Oval Portrait”, Poe has successfully managed to place us firmly in the shoes of the weary narrator. He has created a sense of ambiguity and misperception through the sheer power of his description. The dreamlike setting, the tired narrator and the vague final story all add to the reader’s uncertainty. Conversely it is these precise elements that open the story to so many different interpretations. “The Oval Portrait” manages to raise far more questions than it actually answers. Was the husband really a villain? Did he really neglect his wife or was he only trying to preserve her beauty? Does beauty have to be preserved or should it be admired for as long as life permits? Was it a moral tale? Poe’s storytelling is powerful and it commands our attention from the beginning right through to the end. He ensures that we are never quite sure exactly what to make of this story. Only after reading the story do we realise that not only are we just seeing through the eyes of the narrator, we are also beginning to share the same reaction to the portrait and it it’s story. We are at first ‘startled’ then finally ‘confounded’, ‘subdued’ and ‘appalled’ by the genius and quality of “The Oval portrait”.
WORKS CONSULTED
Twitchell, James. Poe’s “The Oval Portrait” and the Vampire Motif, Studies in Short Fiction, 14:4 (1997:Fall)