The Demon Lover by Elizabeth Bowen encapsulated me with its eerie tone and, occasionally, sinister plot. The majority of the credit towards the advancement of said plot can arguably be given to the short story’s main protagonist, Mrs. Drover. The prosaic, anxious, and insincere qualities of her personality steered the plot into a direction that ironically could have been avoided. Currently living in the country to avoid the German blitzkrieg, Mrs. Drover grew increasingly anxious to visit her home in London. Because of the bombings, “She had been anxious to see how the house was” (Bowen 1). This anxiety proved to be futile as upon entering her house she stumbled upon the dreadful letter. If she had been calm and patient and had trusted in
