The Little Stranger - quotes

TLS, The Little Stranger, Sarah Waters, Dr Faraday, Ayres family

‘those thickish legs and ankles’

‘her muscular legs'

‘[her hair] fell drily to her shoulders as if she had washed it with kitchen soap and then forgotten to comb it'

Chapter 1, Pg 9

Faraday being critical about Caroline's appearance, with the focus being on how unladylike her appearance is, reflects Faraday’s judgemental nature and his upholding pre-war societal standards of femininity, revealing his internal biases against both women and the aristocracy.

‘Charlecote and Coughton have both been turned over to the public'

Chapter 5

Mrs Ayres, talking about other nearby stately homes, like Hundreds being made open to the public, symbolising a shift in power and accessibility of the aristocracy; through the National Trust, to preserve history & can be linked to the 1945 Labour government and its increased interest in social responsibility & improving the living standards for the working classes.

‘the sun sank lower … cast the whole of the scene in shadows’

Use of sibilance, creates mystery and foreboding to evoke unease and suspense for the reader within Gothic literature

‘having grown up in a house with so many spare rooms in it they could be shut up & forgotten'

Chapter 2, Pg62

Caroline about Hundreds Hall, suggesting the family's excessive level of wealth & status, presents self-awareness of how she and her family must be perceived by others as during that time most had very little, and explains the alienation that can accompany such privilege, hinting at the emotional distance often present in wealthy families within the narrative.

‘her high cheeks rising in her heart-shaped face, giving her handsome dark eyes a mischievous tilt.’

‘she looked perfectly well groomed, in a worn linen dress, with her long hair pinned up loosely, showing the elegant line of her neck'

Chapter 1, Pg20

Dr Faraday about Mrs Ayres’ appearance - He prefers her appearance over that of Caroline’s, being very complementary about it and setting precedence for his behaviour as being in line with someone from an older pre-war generation (preferring classical appearances and traditionalism)

‘I heard the scrape of an irregular footstep’

Chapter 1, Pg 6

Faraday identifies Roderick by his injury; suggesting Faraday’s prejudice, as he sees no other significant traits to his character - his injury is the only interesting thing about him, reflecting a sense of otherness and foreshadows the themes of isolation and class distinction that permeate the narrative.

‘We had met before, on more than one occasion’

Chapter 1, Pg 6

Dr Faraday reflecting on previously meeting Roderick, allows us to infer that Faraday already had prejudice against Roderick and the Ayers family - Roderick doesn’t remember previously meeting Faraday, which suggests a deeper social divide between them and hints at Faraday's desire to be more influential within their world.

‘a figure so small and slight I took it at first, to be that of a child’

‘colourless hair had been lightened and permed, her lips and cheeks were red with rouge; she was still small but her slightness had gone’

Chapter 1, Pg 10/ Chapter 15, Pg

Dr Faraday’s initial impression of Betty; her small, frail stature could be viewed as the house siphoning life from it's residents - compared to Faraday’s description of Betty in the final chapter of the book, where she’s considerably healthier and more vibrant, emphasizing the decline of the Ayres family and the connection between the stranger and the house’s holding power.

‘that poor neglected house …Quietly sliding into decay.’

Chapter 15

Description of Hundreds Hall, which serves as a symbolic representation of the decay and collapse of the pre-war class system. This decline mirrors the dwindling fortunes and fading influence of the aristocracy in the interwar period, reflecting broader societal shifts and the challenges faced by the old elite in a changing world. The phrase evokes a sense of loss and nostalgia for a bygone era, underscoring the themes of social change and the transience of power.

‘Hundreds is lovely. But it's a sort of lovely monster! It needs to be fed all the time with money and hard work’

Chapter 2, Pg 69

Caroline about Hundreds Hall, discussing the weight of the legacy of the house and how its intertwined with the reputation of the family - causing them to struggle and begin to create fragmentation amongst them, while trying to uphold it

‘… dressed in the same badly fitting frock she'd been wearing when I'd seen her last’

Chapter 2

Faraday’s commentary on Caroline; picking her outfit apart negatively and being overly critcal of her appearance and presentation as he disagrees with her not fitting into the structure of the modern woman

“...But you should see the place in winter! ...outside there were icicles three feet long. We never dared leave the house, for fear of being harpooned...”

Chapter 1, Pg 25

The fear and danger of Hundreds Hall, foreshadowing of the events to come

‘On my first visit to the Hall after… I made a point of seeking her out, not wanting there to be any bad feeling between us.’

Chapter 5, pg 132

Dr Faraday very intentionally wants to try and keep a good relationship with Caroline, as allows for them to maintain a good friendship which could develop into a romantic relationship and Faraday will use to manipulate Caroline into allowing him to keep the house

‘Apparently the Baker-Hydes are leaving. They're taking the little girl back to London; the staff are following next-week.’

Chapter 5, pg133

Mrs Ayres, revealing the fate chosen by the Baker-Hydes; identifying to readers that London is the place for the nouveau riche, new aristocrats- whereas the country is for the vieux riche, old money aristocrats

‘Poor Standish is to be shut up and sold again'

pg 133, Chapter 5

The personification of the old manor houses; Mrs Ayres referring to it like its an actual person, yet simultaneously objectifying it - the family view it as being of equal status to them and are therefore sympathetic to its state of uncertainty, but also see it as being below in some capacity, due to its current fate

‘Does Caroline talk to you about how she's feeling?’

He shook his head, frowning. ‘She doesn't seem to want to.’

‘You can't… bring her out? Make her open up a little?’

The frown grew deeper. ‘I suppose I could try. I never seem to have the time.’

I said lightly, ‘No time for your sister?’

Chapter 5, pg 134

Faraday is ‘trying’ to subtly show his care and concern for the family, but is actually sowing discourse by judging their internal distance - their estrangement is due to the societal standards attached to their class, not talking about their feelings is normal, but Faraday doesn't understand bc he's not apart of their class

‘Most days are all right. Most days it doesn't come at all. But it likes to surprise me, to catch me out. It’s just like a sly, spiteful child.’

chapter 5, Pg 165

Roderick trying to describe the behaviour of the spirit - links up to Faraday's visits, his emotions towards losing that part of the house he owned as a child and his feelings towards the upper-middle lifestyle

‘For so long as I can keep it, you see, in my room, I can contain the infection’

Chapter 5, Pg 165

Roderick is acknowledging that if he remains the target of the mysterious spirit affecting the house, but quarantines himself, it may protect his mother and sister. The word ‘infection’ is likely a reference to Faraday’s presence, and the decay of the aristocracy - disrupting the family’s dynamic

‘No, no. No one could blame you for that. There's just one thing I'd like to do now. I'd like to examine you, if I may.’

‘I think your pretty tired, aren't you?’

Chapter 6, pg167

Faraday is trying to manipulate the reasons for Roderick’s symptoms, rationalising and belittling them to make them seem less important

‘It was Caroline I saw most. I discovered that she walked in the park almost daily, so I'd often catch sight of her unmistakable long-legged, broad-hipped figure, with Gyp cutting a way through the long grass at her side.’

Chapter 3, Pg75

Establishing the extent to which Caroline is close to Gyp, and creating an early basis for Faraday's unrelenting infatuation with Caroline.

‘I remembered Caroline’s having longed for honey on my very first visit to the house, so I gave one of the jars to her. I did it casually, but she seemed amazed and delighted by the gift, holding up the jar to catch the sunlight, showing her mother.’

Chapter 3, pg 76

Faraday is showing the family kindness by giving gifts and spending time with them, ingratiating himself into their family - subtly manipulating them to make it easier to pick them off one-by-one; while also showing attention to Caroline and furthering his unrequited “courtship” of her.

‘Why not?’ I said. ‘An old bachelor like me.’ (…)

‘And Mrs Ayres said softly, with a shade almost of reproach…’

Chapter 3, pg 76

Faraday is overplaying is pitiable traits; attempting to create sympathy from Mrs Ayres towards him, but also deepening any relationship between them and creating a bond between them - but also making Mrs Ayres feel capable of being vulnerable with Faraday

‘Instead, she confessed to me later that, for a single, wild moment, what she felt was a sort of excitement. She thought of all the problems that would be solved if the Hall were simply to burn to the ground.’

Chapter 7, Pg 203.

Reveals Caroline's lapse into dark, subversive thoughts as rather than being horrified by the destruction of Hundreds, she experiences a sense of liberation at the prospect of the problems being resolved. This indicates the pressure and burden from the weight of her family's legacy and the financial struggles associated with maintaining the estate. Her confession suggests deep desperation and a desire to escape the constraints of her social position and responsibilities, with waters presenting the fire as a symbol of destruction and cathartic renewal, hinting at a new beginning free from the burdens of the past: akin to Faraday’s desire to be accepted by the upperclasses.

‘the room as she plunged back into it was like some small scene from hell: unimaginably hot, lit up at a thousand diabolical points, and thick with whirling embers and tongues of fire that seemed to dart viciously at her face and hands.’

Chapter 7, Pg 204

The description of the fire as being ‘some small scene from hell’, evokes gothic and religious imagery of hellfire, by suggesting an environment of eternal punishment and agony, conveying a sense of intense suffering and torment, which can be seen as a metaphor for the Ayers’ suffering. The infernal imagery underscores the themes of destruction and transformation, emphasizing fire's potential to eradicate the past and usher in radical change, while simultaneously presenting a moment of personal crisis for Caroline. This can be further taken to the gothic trope of the sublime, with Caroline being powerless against the all-consuming, dangerous power of nature, mirroring the Ayres' families inability to adapt and combat the societal forces at the time.

‘Look what you've done to yourself. You perfect child! There'll be no more of this sort of thing, you know, once we're married.’

Chapter 9, pg 321

Faraday’s infantalisation of Caroline, shows off his predatory behaviour and how he truly seems to view Caroline. Additionally, it insinuates his expectations of her behaviour for when they are married.

“Your coming apart at the seams, Doctor,’ reaching out and taking hold of my top button, which was dangling by a couple of threads of fraying brown cotton. […] ‘One of the perils of being a bachelor, I;m afraid”

Chapter 9, Pg 287

Faraday is attempting to guilt and coerce Caroline into being in a relationship and accepting to marry him - through overemphasising his pain and hurt at having been jilted by her the evening of the doctors dance.