Hello, I just got done reading that story, and I have a few question about it:
Why did Mr. White not want his son back alive?
And why did it take Herbert so long to reach the White's house after Mrs. White wished him back?
2007-03-17 10:44:14 · 5 answers · asked by BOT22 1 in Education & Reference ➔ Words & Wordplay
I read this a very long time back, but it's such an amazing short story.
From what I remember, Mr.White had seen the totally disfigured body of his son, unlike his wife. So Mrs.White had wished for her son back, oblivious to what horror this could bring about. But Mr.White had an inkling of the kind of abomination that could land on their doorstep. He also knew about the cursed nature of the paw, so having his son back meant that it would be some terrifying, inhuman version of his son, and not his actual son that died. That's why Mr. White didn't want his son back alive....because it would be more zombie than human.
As for Herbert taking so long so get back, I think Mrs.White understood that her son needed time to travel from the cemetery to their house, which accounts for the gap between the time she wished him back and the moment there was a knock on their door.
2007-03-17 11:23:31 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
O.K. It's been centuries since I read that story. But from what I foggily remember, Mr. White realized that his son was going to be horribly disfigured (from the accident) which is why it took Herbert so long to drag himself back to the house.
2007-03-17 17:53:07 · answer #2 · answered by pat z 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Mr. White didn't want his son back alive because he died by going through the machines. His flesh could've been torn to pieces or something which would be completely disgusting and nightmarishly revolting.
Herbert took a long time to get to the White's house because the place where he'd been (where he died, I can't tell you off hand) would take him a while to get there.
2007-03-17 17:51:10 · answer #3 · answered by Dani M 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Because he's dead and rotting and he had to dig his way out of the grave. Not very good at reading between the lines, are you?
2007-03-17 17:52:33 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
wasn't that he was coming back alive, it was that he was coming back....and I guess it took him a while to get out of his grave
2007-03-17 17:52:20 · answer #5 · answered by silentnonrev 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋