The Red Room Themes

Paranoia and Fear

In “The Red Room,” Wells turns the traditional gothic ghost story on its head. The unnamed narrator journeys to Lorraine Castle to examine the Red Room, a place that is supposedly haunted and has led to many people’s demises. He begins the night confident in his belief that no ghosts could possibly exist, but as he traverses the cold, dank passageways and as he spends time in the Red Room itself, his fear grows. The…

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Perception vs. Reality

The revelation that the Red Room is haunted by fear and not by a ghost highlights the extent to which perception can affect one’s reality. Throughout the story, the narrator highlights certain items, histories, or behaviors that emphasize the frightening reputation of the house. When recalling the oddness of the old custodians, for instance, the narrator explains, “these three old pensioners […] and the deep-toned, old-fashioned furniture […] affected me in spite of my efforts…

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Hubris and Naivety

Throughout the first pages of “The Red Room,” Wells underlines the discrepancy of both age and wisdom between the narrator and Lorraine Castle’s custodians. All three custodians are significantly older than the narrator and seem—based on their knowledge of the castle—to have been working there for some time. They warn him repeatedly that it is far too dangerous for him to enter the Red Room, but he casts aside their worries due to his hubris…

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Uncertainty

The narrator of “The Red Room,” as illustrated by his direct response to his first moments in the Red Room itself, views uncertainty as a weakness, one that will let fear and paranoia destabilize a rational individual. When the dark of the Red Room unnerves him, he “resolve[s] to make a systematic examination of the place at once, and dispel the fanciful suggestions of its obscurity before they obtain[…] a hold on [him].” In other…

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