The Altar of the Dead by Henry James
"The Altar of the Dead" by Henry James is a poignant exploration of memory, love, and loss, centered on the character George Stransom. At fifty-five, Stransom is deeply affected by the death of his fiancée, Mary Antrim, and his grief manifests in a unique way—he creates a private altar in a church as a tribute to her and to others lost in his life. This act of remembrance becomes a ritual for him, embodying what he describes as his "religion of the Dead." As Stransom continues his solitary worship, he encounters a younger woman who shares a similar devotion, although her memories are tied to a deceased lover, Acton Hague. Their friendship is complicated by the specter of Hague, which creates a barrier between them due to Stransom's unresolved feelings of resentment. The narrative unfolds as both characters navigate their pasts and the memories that haunt them, culminating in a powerful moment of connection at the altar where Stransom adds a final candle—a gesture that signifies his acceptance of mortality. The story delves into themes of remembrance and the impact of the dead on the living, offering a reflective look at how love and loss shape our lives.
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The Altar of the Dead by Henry James
First published: 1895
Type of plot: Psychological
Time of work: The late Victorian period
Locale: London
Principal Characters:
George Stransom , the protagonist, who maintains a memorial altar to his dead friendsThe young lady , a nameless female character who becomes a friend of Stransom and a fellow worshiper at the altarMary Antrim , Stransom's deceased fiancéActon Hague , a former friend to Stransom and lover to the nameless female character
The Story
Fifty-five-year-old George Stransom is obsessed with observing the anniversary of his fiancee Mary Antrim's death, a fact that leads him to expand his commemorative pantheon to include all the other departed friends who live on in his memory. Imbued from an early age with what he terms "the religion of the Dead," he decides to provide a material sign of his remembrance in the form of a private altar in a church, which he endows on the condition that he be allowed to stipulate the number of candles to be lit there.
Stransom, after a time of worshiping privately at his altar, notices that a lady somewhat younger than he has been as frequent a worshiper at his altar as he. One day he notices her at a concert and inquires if she recognizes him, which she does. They strike up a friendship subsequently, although Stransom, in his reserve, takes considerable time even to learn her name. She lives with an elderly aunt, who acts as an obstacle to their further intimacy until her death, after which the young lady invites Stransom to her lodgings. On this occasion, in showing Stransom her room, it is brought out that the young lady was the lover of Acton Hague, and it is to his memory that she has been devoted in her observances at Stransom's altar. More powerfully than the deceased had in life, the ghost of Acton Hague rises up between Stransom and the lady and separates them for an extended period. This gulf is fixed between them because of Stransom's hatred of Hague (who injured him in a way that is never specified) and the lady's refusal to abandon the memory of her lover.
Separated for many months, the pious couple are reunited finally when Stransom journeys to his altar to complete the array of lighted candles that lacks but one more for perfect symmetry. Drawn by some mysterious instinct, the young lady discovers Stransom at the altar, now committed to adding a final candle to the group. The young lady believes at first that the addition is to be the memorial to Acton Hague that she had demanded of him, but she discovers her error on realizing that the final candle is to light the memory of Stransom's own death, which occurs as the story closes.
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