The Rats In The Walls

“Neither my father nor I ever knew what our hereditary envelope had contained, and as I merged into the greyness of Massachusetts business life I lost all interest in the mysteries which evidently lurked far back in my family tree. Had I suspected their nature, how gladly I would have left Exham Priory to its moss, bats and cobwebs!”

The letter detailing the Delapore history was the protagonist’s only link to his familial past, and the introduction of the mysterious envelope develops the theme of Family History and Identity. Delapore almost managed to live an ordinary life without ever learning the truth about his family history. He regrets his time at Exham Priory, saying that if he had known the truth, he would never have restored the building and tried to live there. Even though life in Massachusetts was gray and lacking in mystery, this passage implies that a life apart from a terrible legacy would have been better than knowing the whole truth.

“In 1921, as I found myself bereaved and aimless, a retired manufacturer no longer young, I resolved to divert my remaining years with my new possession.”

Delapore cannot talk directly about the death of his son, but this passage implies that the loss was difficult for him. Restoring Exham Priory and reconnecting with his ancestry is a way for Delapore to stop feeling aimless and instead feel that he is part of something greater than himself. Delapore’s determination to restore his ancestral home develops the theme of Family History and Identity.