Plot details
This event begins the story and disrupts the family’s quiet evening.
A strange man knocks on the door.
He is the head of the household who reluctantly lets the Visitor inside.
The father
A major theme that focuses on the feeling that something is slightly “off.”
Unsettling atmosphere.
The story relies heavily on this device to create mood and suspense.
Foreshadowing
This word means “strangely mysterious or unsettling,” a key tone of the story.
Uncanny
What did the family say the house felt after the strange man left.
Strange and off
She is cautious, protective, and uneasy about the Visitor.
The mother
This theme is shown when the family feels uncomfortable because a stranger is inside their home.
Discomfort with strangers
Oates creates vivid mental images of the house and its past, an example of this literary device.
imagery
This word describes the story’s tone when the family recalls memories that evoke sadness.
melancholy
The mood shifts when the Visitor does this unusual action in the son’s room.
Recited old memories and measure the room in a strange way.
He is the child of the family, watching the interaction with curiosity.
The son
Another theme involves how people react to this type of disturbance in their safe spaces.
Invasion of privacy
The visitor himself can be seen as a symbol of this concept related to memory and the past.
past or memory
A term meaning “invasion or violation of personal space,” reflecting the Visitor’s impact.
Intrusion
What did the strange man ask to see before getting asked to leave.
The basement
He claims to have lived in the house as a boy.
A central theme of the story involves this emotional connection to the past.
memory
When the Visitor speaks in odd, rhythmic patterns, this device is at work.
Repetition
This word refers to a sentimental longing for the past, particularly the home.
nostalgia
By the end of the story, the visitor’s presence leaves the family feeling unsettled and this emotional state.
What is disturbed or unsettled?
This character shows the biggest emotional transformation during the story.
The father
The story explores this concept by showing how the visitor triggers old memories in the family.
nostalgia
The way the story unfolds chronologically and thematically enhances this element of its overall impact.
mood or tension
The term that captures the family’s uneasy and disturbed reaction to the visitor.
disconcerting