The Demon Lover Teaching Guide

Topics for Further Study

(Short Stories for Students)

Research conditions in London, England, during the Blitz of World War II, and compare what you find with the setting of ‘‘The Demon Lover.’’

Find a version of the English ballad, "The Demon Lover,’’ and trace its use in the story. How do the two compare?

Compare ‘‘The Demon Lover’’ with Edith Wharton's ‘‘Pomegranate Seed.’’ Discuss any similarities or differences you observe.

In what way is ‘‘The Demon Lover’’ a ghost story? Find some other English ghost stories and compare them.

Look at studies of people in wartime and post-traumatic stress syndrome. Can you find any connection with Mrs. Drover's state of mind?

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Next:What Do I Read Next?

How is the mood/atmosphere created in "The Demon Lover?"

To create the mood and the atmosphere in “The Demon Lover” Bowen uses the setting, which is thee narrator’s abandoned house and later the taxi. Bowen also uses descriptive language to set the mood....
What are some examples of imagery in "The Demon Lover?"

Bowen uses imagery throughout her story, "The Demon Lover." She opens, for instance, with an image of a "steamy, showery" day to depict the hot and humid weather. This is immediately followed by a...
What are the settings of "The Demon Lover"?

The setting of ‘‘The Demon Lover’’ is the empty streets of London, whose inhabitants have fled the destruction of their homes. Another setting is the house of Mrs. Drover which she comes back to...
In "The Demon Lover," what details in the lovers' last meeting foreshadow a sinister, threatening...

There are several details in the description of the lovers' last meeting back in August 1916, which hint at a sinister reunion. Firstly, the meeting is described as taking place in the dark, and...
What is the situational irony in "The Demon Lover"?

This is an interesting question, as arguably there is no situational irony in this story. Situational irony is a term used to describe a sudden twist in terms of the ending that we were not...