H.P.+Lovecraft's+The+Dunwich+Horror+by+Joshua+Robinson

=H.P. Lovecraft //"The Dunwich Horror"//= (Rosenberg).

Biography
H.P. (Howard Phillips) Lovecraft is an American writer born in Providence, Rhode Island on August 20, 1890. He was raised by his grandfather "who was the dominant intellectual influence on his grandson's early life" and his mother ("H.P. Lovecraft" para.1). Lovecraft did not graduate high school because he experienced a mental breakdown. He planned to go to college and become a professor but due to his health was unable to. Lovecraft instead educated himself. He worked with many writers in his early adult years, many nonprofessional writers and worked on his own magazine. He married Sonia H. Greene in 1924 and then split up several months later. After they parted Lovecraft returned to Providence and lived there the rest of his life. Lovecraft passed away in March 15, 1937, of intestinal cancer.

Setting
The setting takes place in north central Massachusetts in the early ninteen hundreds around a small, back woods, country town(Lovecraft sec. 1).

Charaters
Wilbur Whateley is the son of Lavinia Whateley and grandson of Old Whateley. Wilbur is a strange character in the story. He grows at an alarming rate and is smart for his age.

Old Whateley is the father of Lavinia Whateley and grandfather of Wilbur Whateley. Old Whateley is seen as a strange and crazy old man that believes in magic.

Lavinia Whateley is the mother of Wilbur Whateley and the daughter of Old Whateley. Lavinia Whateley is a strange character that doesn't say much.

Dr. Armitage is the librarian of the Library of Miskatonic University of Arkham. He is old and whitebearded and is one of the three men that kill the monster.

Professor Rice is smart and helps Dr. Armitage. He is stocky and iron grey haird man that helps kill the monster.

Dr. Morgan is a smart man that helps Dr. Armitage. He is lean and a young man that helps kill the monster.

Summary
In H.P. Lovecraft's story "The Dunwich Horror" takes place in a small country town. The town of Dunwich is a spooky place and is has many rumors that their is much dark magic and evil in the town. Wilbur Whateley is born from Lavinia Whateley and she has no known husband or lover. She is an ugly woman and is in her mid thirty's. She lives with her father Old Whateley who has crazy ways. In the town of Dunwich they stand out. the towns people talk about the Whateley's and at first are curious of who the father of Wilbur is. Old Whateley is surrounded by witch craft and when his grandson is born does even more stange things than usual. After Wilburs birth weird and unatural events start to occur. The Whateley's buy cattle at huge amounts and most of them dissaper and the one that dont have strange marks on them. They rebiuld their home several times and Wilbur grows at a fast and strange rate. Wilbur and his grandfather practice old dark magic together and they hide a monster not of this world in their farm house. The monster is their for years and grows so many times do Wilbur and Old Whateley customize the house. The town starts to wonder what they are up to with the house, the cattle and where Lavinia has went. Little does the town know that the monster is stil growing. After Old Whateley passes away Wilbur is unable to control the monster by himself. Wilbur goes to an university to get a copy of a dark book that he needs to control the monster and to let out other monsters from another world. This book contains magic that would let Wilbur do these deeds. The librarian does not let Wilbur have a copy of the book. Wilbur desperatly needing the book breaks into the library at night to get the book and is attacked by a guard dog. The attack kills Wilbur. The librarian and others arrive at the library to see what has happened and then they see Wilbur dead but, half of his body is not human. As they look at wilbur's remains his body disintegrates alltogether and nothing of him is left. Now that Wilbur is dead the monster that is left alone in the house escapes by destroying the house. The monster is invisible and leaves only a trail of where it has been. The monster attacks the town killing cattle, destroying barns, destroying houses, and killing families. The town's men come together to try and stop the monster. Unable to see the monster they follow its path of destruction and eventually the men see where it is by the prints it makes and trail it leaves. Only a few men brave enough kill the monster and but a end to its horror.

Themes
From what i gathered in this story there is a presence of evil and is confict with the good of society. The theme of good verses evil.

According to Donald Burleson, " Here we have not only the theme of denied primacy, but also, in the form of human failure to comprehend the implications of the confrontation, the theme of merciful ignorance (Burleson para. 23).

Criticism
The critism goes both ways some people love this story and some people hate it. Critic Michael Feingold describes Lovecraft's story as trash. Feingold says, "terrifically readable trash, the best kind." Feingold also decribes Lovecrafts terror in his story as juvenile and the story as forgettable (Feingold para. 2). Critic Thomas H. Evans views Lovecraft's story as original and authentic. Evans likes the folklore and details of terror (Evans para. 48).