Lie Down in Darkness (Masterplots, Revised Second Edition)
At a glance:
- Author: William Styron
- First Published: 1951
- Type of Work: Novel
- Type of Plot: Psychological realism
- Time of Work: Mid-twentieth century
- Setting: Virginia
- Principal Characters: Peyton Loftis, Milton Loftis, Helen Loftis, Harry Miller, Dolly Bonner, Carey Carr
- Genres: Long fiction, Psychological fiction
- Subjects: Virginia, New York, North America or North Americans, Northeast, U.S., United States or Americans, Suicide, New York City, 1940’s, 1920’s, 1930’s, Alcoholism or alcoholics, Substance abuse, Adultery, Death or dying, Lawyers, Funeral rites or ceremonies, Bereavement or grief, Mental retardation
- Locales: New York, NY, Charlottesville, VA
The Story:
Young Peyton Loftis, daughter of a Virginia family, had committed suicide in New York City. Her body had been barely rescued from Potter’s Field, and it had been transported by train to Port Warwick, Virginia. Her father, Milton, and his mistress, Dolly Bonner, arrived in one car to meet the body, and her mother, Helen, and Helen’s minister, Carey Carr, arrived in another car.
Only the two cars followed the hearse on the trip to the cemetery on a hot August afternoon. Several incidents of car trouble delayed the trip, and during the trip and the funeral...
[The entire page is 1989 words long]
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