Afterward by Edith Wharton
A short story classified under the American Gothic genre, the piece depicts an eerie set of events following the distressing occurrences within the Boyne household, as their dream relocation takes a drastic turn. Wharton cleverly weaves together Gothic themes including horror, retribution, and despair to create a dynamic plot which is additionally aided by the use of foreshadowing, an uncanny setting, and the reflective voice of its character. Divided into five parts, Afterward introduces newly rich couple Mary and Ned Boyne, who decide to make their dream move to England after Ned strikes a good business investment. In search of a suitable house they come across the Lyng, which seems to check all the boxes in their list of house necessities, as it is old, remote, and most importantly haunted by a ghost. Subsequently, the Boynes settle in and go about their activities as usual and enjoy the pleasures within the house, while disregarding the possibility of sharing accommodation wit...
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