id: 475e90ab-017e-46f4-9994-b962b4751eec
slug: The-Return
cover_url: null
author: Walter de la Mare
about: Haunting the boundaries between life and death, "The Return" explores a businessman's jarring resurrection into his own life - only to find himself a ghost in his body. De la Mare's eerie tale challenges our certainty about identity and consciousness, suggesting our "true self" may be more fluid than fixed.
icon_illustration: https://myeyoafugkrkwcnfedlu.supabase.co/storage/v1/object/public/Icon_Images/Walter%20de%20la%20Mare.png
author_id: 7d9c46ba-cc30-4448-9ddd-e66c586c3b4a
city_published: London
country_published: England
great_question_connection: Walter de la Mare's "The Return" serves as a profound meditation on many of the metaphysical, epistemological, and spiritual questions that have long captivated human consciousness. The story's exploration of a man's ghostly return to his former life creates a rich tapestry for examining the boundaries between reality and illusion, consciousness and unconsciousness, and the material and spiritual realms. \n \n The text's central premise inherently engages with questions about consciousness, personal identity, and the nature of reality. When Arthur Lawford experiences his supernatural transformation, we're confronted with fundamental questions about whether consciousness is evidence of divinity and if personal identity can persist through radical change. The story's supernatural elements challenge our understanding of whether reality is fundamentally good or if there might be darker, hidden dimensions to existence that we typically ignore. \n \n The religious and mystical undertones of "The Return" speak directly to questions about divine revelation and whether finite minds can grasp infinite truth. The protagonist's experience suggests that some knowledge requires a leap of faith, and that personal experience might indeed be more trustworthy than expert knowledge in certain profound matters. The text seems to argue that there are indeed some truths humans will never fully understand through conventional means. \n \n De la Mare's treatment of perception and reality raises essential questions about whether we see reality or just our expectations, and whether some illusions might be more real than what we consider reality. The story's exploration of identity transformation challenges us to consider whether a perfect copy of someone could truly be them, speaking to deeper questions about the nature of consciousness and personal identity. \n \n The moral implications of the story engage with questions about whether being ethical necessarily
leads to happiness, and whether personal loyalty should override universal moral rules. The protagonist's struggle with his transformed identity raises questions about authenticity versus happiness, and whether creating positive outcomes justifies potentially deceptive means. \n \n The artistic merit of "The Return" itself raises questions about whether art should aim to reveal truth or create beauty, and whether understanding an artwork's context fundamentally changes its beauty. The story's ambitious handling of supernatural themes challenges us to consider whether art should comfort or challenge its audience, and whether beauty can exist in the portrayal of disturbing or unconventional subjects. \n \n The social and political dimensions of the story touch on questions of individual rights versus collective welfare, particularly in how society responds to those who are different or changed. The text suggests that radical change might sometimes be necessary for justice, even as it acknowledges the value of stability and tradition. \n \n Through its complex narrative structure and philosophical implications, "The Return" demonstrates that wisdom might indeed be more about questions than answers, and that some mysteries resist complete explanation. The story suggests that while perfect knowledge might eliminate some mystery, perhaps the most profound aspects of human experience—love, identity, consciousness, and transformation—will always retain their essential mysteriousness.
introduction: Among the most enigmatic works of supernatural fiction from the early 20th century stands "The Return," a haunting novel published in 1910 by the English poet and author Walter de la Mare (1873-1956). This masterwork of psychological horror weaves together elements of ghost story conventions with profound explorations of identity, consciousness, and the nature of reality itself. \n \n First appearing during a period of significant cultural upheaval, when Victorian certainties were giving way to modernist uncertainties, "The Return" emerged alongside other seminal works questioning the nature of consciousness and reality, such as Henry James's "The Turn of the Screw" (1898) and Oliver Onions's "The Beckoning Fair One" (1911). The novel tells the story of Arthur Lawford, who experiences a mysterious transformation after falling asleep by an old tomb, finding himself possessed by—or perhaps transformed into—a long-dead man named Nicholas Sabathier. \n \n The work's sophisticated treatment of psychological dissolution and identity crisis marked a significant departure from traditional Victorian ghost stories, establishing de la Mare as a pioneer in psychological horror. Critics have long debated whether the events of "The Return" represent genuine supernatural occurrence or psychological breakdown, with some scholars drawing parallels to Robert Louis Stevenson's "Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde" while others point to emerging contemporary theories of consciousness and personality disorders. \n \n The novel's influence continues to resonate through modern literature and media, particularly in works exploring themes of identity crisis and psychological horror. Its ambiguous narrative style and sophisticated treatment of consciousness prefigured later modernist experiments with unreliable narration and subjective reality. Contemporary readers and critics continue to discover new layers of meaning in the text, particularly in light of modern psychological theories
and understanding of identity disorders. The work's central question—whether Lawford's transformation is supernatural or psychological—remains provocatively unanswered, inviting each new generation of readers to grapple with its implications for understanding the nature of self and consciousness.