The Dunwich Horror

Though Wilbur appears human to most people, he hides his true self beneath his clothes. His continued, unnatural growth and the undeniable uncanniness of Wilbur’s existence (including his wretched odor and the manner in which he aggravates dogs) develop the Cosmic Horror theme. People are presented with something uncanny, unreal, or supernatural, such as a 10-year-old who appears to be an eight-foot-tall man, and they cannot comprehend what they are seeing. Even Armitage, who is suspicious of Wilbur and his intentions, refuses to accept the physical strangeness of Wilbur’s appearance. He deliberately suppresses his suspicions and his fears. To do anything else would be to admit something terrible: that there are things in the world beyond his comprehension. While cosmic horror revels in revealing the hidden terrors of the universe, there is a reason these terrors remain hidden for so long: The people encountering the horrors of existence refuse to acknowledge them. Cosmic horror delineates the point at which the horror becomes undeniable and people are forced to accept the dreadful reality of the world around them. The cost of acknowledging that reality is usually high, revealing the Willful Ignorance of the Dunwich villagers to be in part a protective measure, albeit one that ultimately backfires.

Halfway through The Dunwich Horror, a new protagonist is introduced. The narrative baton passes from the dead Wilbur to Armitage, a librarian at Miskatonic University. Unlike the people of Dunwich, Armitage is not willing to ignore the uncanny existence of Wilbur indefinitely. Even before Wilbur tries to break into the library, Armitage writes to his colleagues and warns them about the strange young man. With this small gesture, Armitage does more to hinder Wilbur’s plan than anyone in Dunwich has done to hinder the Whateley family in generations. The introduction of Armitage, an outsider, as a protagonist allows the narrative to show the true strangeness of Wilbur and the many failings of Dunwich’s isolationist attitude. Even in a town so beholden to Lovecraftian lore and horror, Wilbur stands out as untrustworthy and malevolent. If the opening chapters introduce the audience to Dunwich, then they also serve to trap readers in this isolated, subjective mood and culture. Once out of Dunwich, reality is revealed.

After Wilbur’s death in Chapter 6, the focus shifts to Armitage. Wilbur’s death is observed from Armitage’s perspective. The accident that leads to Wilbur’s death is blurred; the reader experiences one of the most pivotal moments in the novel through Armitage’s eyes as the narrative describes his journey to the library rather than Wilbur’s failed burglary. This elision is a recurring motif throughout the story. True horror is rarely witnessed directly. Instead, it is glimpsed vicariously through other characters. The story does not portray the death of the Frye family, for example. Instead, it describes Mrs. Frye’s final telephone call, in which she screams about the unseen horrors happening around her.

The reveal of the monstrous physical form hidden by Wilbur’s clothes unfolds in gruesome detail. Readers, like Armitage and his colleagues, must examine the truth in great detail. The moment when the narrative switches focus from Wilbur to Armitage is an important thematic turn: Reality can no longer be denied. Armitage has been confronted with the true, dreadful nature of the universe, and denial is no longer an option. When the body disappears, however, Armitage’s objective becomes much more difficult. While he has glimpsed reality, he no longer has evidence. People can continue to delude themselves. The people of Dunwich go through a similar process of dawning understanding, refusing to believe anything is wrong until the Frye family is killed and parts of the town are destroyed. This illustrates the idea that, to snap out of delusion and act, people must be confronted with the grim and violent reality of existence.