Interpretive Problem 1

     This was the first long assignment for the course, and my first experience with Interpretive Problem type essays.  This type of assignment forced me to break out of the realm of the traditional five-paragraph essays I had become so accustomed to writing, which proved to be quite a challenge for me.  This assignment received the grade of an A-minus. 

1.        I chose the short story “Crighton Abbey” by Mary Elizabeth Braddon for this interpretive problem assignment.

2.       In “Crighton Abbey” Edwards’s parents chose not to inform him of the possibility that he could be subject to a dangerous curse that strikes the men in his family just before they marry.  Since they are clearly very worried for his safety, why would they chose not to warn him and implore him to be cautious?

3.       This is an important question to ask because it addresses a puzzling point in the plot of the story, and encourages the reader to question the reason given for Mr. and Mrs. Crightons’ refusal to tell their son about the possibility of a family curse.  In attempting to answer this question, the reader will have to question whether or not Mr. and Mrs. Crighton truly believe in the curse.  Any attempt to answer this question must also address their fears and anxieties about the curse, how others perceive them, how their son perceives them, and how they perceive their son. 

4.       One possible answer to this question is that Mr. and Mrs. Crighton are afraid that their son Edward would scoff at their fears of the curse, and respond to their concern by going out and actively seeking dangerous situations in order to spite them.

5.       The first and most important piece of information to consider is the explanation to this question given by the housemaid who Sarah first confronts when she witnesses the spectral hunting party.  According to the housemaid, Mr. and Mrs. Crighton have been careful to keep knowledge of the curse away from Edward in order not to worry him unnecessarily.  This is a solid bit of information to start with, but it is worth questioning whether this explanation holds up to those who know Edward and the Crightons well.  With this in mind, the next important piece of information is Sarah’s reaction to this explanation.  As she has known the Crightons her entire life, her opinion of them can most likely be trusted.  Sarah’s initial reaction is one of confusion that such information should be kept from Edward on that account.  She believes that Edward is not likely to be perturbed by it; in fact she states that she thinks he is, “too strong-minded to be much affected by the fact.”  This brings us to the last piece of evidence, which is an examination of Edward’s character.  If he might be considered meek and timid, or if he is prone to anxiety or suffers from an overzealous imagination, the housemaid’s explanation might seem reasonable.  If however, he is - as all evidence in the text suggests – an healthy and active young man, it seems foolish that his parents would presume he might be frightened of a ghost story, and thus might be wise to look for other explanations.  It is also worthwhile to examine other people’s characterizations of Edward, as well as his interactions with Miss Tremaine in order to better understand his character.

6.       A serious, and slightly cranky reader might posit that since there seems to be a long history of young Crighton males dropping dead for no apparent reason, the ghost tale might not appear quite as ridiculous to a member of the Crighton family as to a modern reader.  This reader might also state that Edward’s parents might not even have a good reason for keeping information about the curse from him.  Parents often act irrationally out of a desire to protect their children, and that might be the case in this situation.