This story
is set during the Inquisition, where anyone that would not convert to Catholicism was labeled a
heretic and captured. They were often tortured and killed. It was a brutal time period in
Europe, and as it was occurring, the rumors of the torture that was happening were vicious and
frightening. The narrator himself refers to this--he mentions the "thousand vague rumors
of the horrors of Toledo." So, when he is tossed into a totally dark place, where he
can't see anything, where it is cold and damp, he is terrified that some scheme has been hatched
against him. His first thought, he says, is so terrifying that it "drove the blood in
torrents upon my heart." That fear was that he was buried alive in a tomb, to slowly
suffocate to death.
Imagine waking up in total darkness, with stone all
around you, rumors of torture swirling in your head--it wouldn't be too far of a stretch to
assume that you were in a tomb. And, we don't know for sure, but he might be terrified of
closed spaces--he could be claustrophbic. A lot of people are. Even if you aren't, who
wouldn't be afraid of being entombed alive? The uncertainty of his fate,
him not knowing where he is or what they are doing to him, and his environment, all lead him to
terrifying conclusions.
I hope that those thoughts helped a bit; good
luck!
No comments:
Post a Comment