I believe that this story is a reflection of isolation and the sense of escapism, as also communicated through the painting itself. Knowing of the author’s background, the reader can already gauge where the progression of the story will ultimately lead. It is through both the author and artist’s portrayal of tone that the idea of a shared theme is evident in both works.
Their work together depicts a sense of loneliness from the real world, a detachment from society. The morals of the Enderby’s no longer align with the status quo, and each of their delusional state of mind feeds into one another. They justify each other’s actions and compel one another that what they’re doing is at the fault of society and not their own hands. This neglect of societal morals and the inflation of their own set of rules aid in the paradoxical idea that this isolation is the product of a greater issue.
Their acts are conducted as a way to make ends meet. It’s become their new ‘job.’ The current state of their time made carrying out a normal lifestyle and maintaining a comfortable income nearly impossible. That is a fundamentally inescapable product of the country’s ongoing expansion and growth. This self-inflicted seclusion is a byproduct of America’s continuous evolution. They’ve adapted to their circumstances in the most grotesque way. They’re living in their version of the American dream.
“When they were first married, there had actually been an Enderby Enterprises. The depression—what the Journal-American had taken to calling the Great Depression—had put an end to that two years ago. Now they had this new work.”
Even then, the justification for their actions is obscured by what we as readers know to be morally correct. The Enderbys’ narration cannot be relied on– they are unreliable narrators. What they deem to be just and true isn’t by any means, yet they speak and act a
s though it is. Only through the perceptive and insightful observation of the reader do we know that this story belongs in the horror genre, even though from the point of view of the characters, it’s just another night doing their job.
“But we are not murderers. Our guests simply lack sustenance, as do so many in these terrible times. We don’t kill them; they simply fade away.”
Exactly! I at first felt myself being drawn into their excuses but then quickly realized how morally wrong it was!
I think it is so interesting how you used isolation in this post. The isolation is TOTALLY a product of their delusions feeding into one another. I loved that observation.