The Demon Lover

Mrs. Drover has come to London to retrieve some personal items for her family (now living in the country due to the German air raids). Although she’s lived in her home for several years, she now feels it has “an unfamiliar queerness” (661). What are some of the reasons she might feel this way?

The story refers to the main character as “Mrs. Drover” in the present-day action but “Kathleen” in the action set in 1916. Is there a difference between these two identities? Does Mrs. Drover herself feel she has two selves? If so, what might explain that sense?

The story can function either as a realistic tale about a woman’s trauma or as a gothic tale about a demon lover who has come to claim his fiancé. Using evidence from the text, how do you read the tale?