An Analysis of the Theme of Ambiguity in The Demon Lover by Elizabeth Bowen

Ambiguity in Elizabeth Bowen’s “The Demon Lover” leads to far too many interpretations of the simple ghost story. Granted, it allows for lively class discussions, ambiguity in this story causes readers see alternate views that were not intended by the author. On the surface, “The Demon Lover” is about a middle aged woman, Mrs Drover, and her encounter with the supernatural. When readers try to look beyond that, multiple different readings come forward. However, none of these are fully backed by the details of the story.

A common reading of “The Demon Lover” is that Mrs. Drover is having a psychotic break. With this reading, all of the added details that create a sense of paranormal activity are lost on the reader and the letter left for Mrs. Drover has no explanation. The author placed those details to create her story, not for them to be thrown aside to see the “deeper meaning”. Plenty of stories have layers and different meanings, but it would be a mistake to think every story ever told has a “deeper meaning”.

Sometimes a ghost story is just a ghost story. Too often English classes tear apart passages to come up with crazy alternative readings. Sure, the author intended it most of the time and when they do, all of the details fit together like a perfect puzzle. When the pieces don’t fit, it’s probably because the author didn’t intend for the story to be taken apart and rearranged. All of this being said, there is one alternate reading that makes some sense.

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This being that Mrs. Drover is dying. Rather than her demon lover in the cab, it is death. The title doesn’t make much sense with this reading because the “demon lover” is removed from the story entirely. However, many other details such as the ominous tone and the letter can be explained with this reading, while in most others they can not. The only reading that fully accounts for all of the details that Bowen carefully placed in “The Demon Lover” is what readers see on the surface.