How to Sell a Haunted House Literary Elements

A Horror Novel

The book is set in the 21st century in Louise and Mark's childhood home in Charleston, South Carolina.

The book is told from the third-person point of view of an anonymous narrator.

Suspenseful, creepy, dark, and intense

Louise is the protagonist while Pupkin is the antogonist

The major conflict is Louise and Mark Joyner's sibling rivalry. Louise and Mark have been estranged for years, and when their parents die, a schism forms between them as they must work together to sell the house. Louise believes that her brother has always been favored by their parents and has received everything without having to work for it, whereas Mark resents Louise for abandoning the family. Their childhood trauma is revealed as they work together, and they must confront their differences to work together and sell the house. This conflict becomes even more difficult as they struggle to come to terms with the haunting presence of the puppets and dolls.

The story's climax occurs when Louise and Mark finally confront the source of the evil that has been plaguing their home. They discover that the source of the evil is a demon-possessed puppet named Pupkin that their mother made. To save their home and themselves, they must band together and fight the puppet. They must also confront traumatic childhood memories to gain the strength and courage to fight Pupkin. They eventually defeat the puppet and save the house.

The ominous words of the leader of the street performers, "A puppet is a possession that possesses the possessor," are an example of foreshadowing, as they hint at the sinister force that is at the heart of the house and the siblings' trauma. Foreshadowing is used to build suspense and intrigue, and to let the reader know that something potentially dangerous is lurking in the shadows.

Understatement is used throughout the story to diminish the impact of the traumatic events that Louise and her brother, Mark, have to face. For example, when Louise finds out that her parents were killed in an accident, she says, “It’s like the rug has been ripped out from under her,” which is an understatement of the immense emotional pain she is feeling.

In this story, there is an allusion to the classic horror movie, "The Puppet Master". This allusion is used to compare the creepy atmosphere of Louise and Mark's parents' house, which is filled with their mother's puppets, to the eerie atmosphere of the movie. The allusion is used to create a sense of dread and tension as if the house itself is alive and out to get the siblings.

Throughout the story, the author uses imagery to convey the mood of the house, which is full of eerie puppets and dolls. She also uses imagery to highlight the tension between Louise and her brother Mark, as well as the family trauma that haunts them both. For example, when Louise is attacked by the taxidermied squirrels from a Nativity set, the imagery of the attack creates a sense of dread and foreboding. Additionally, when Louise and Mark open the attic to investigate the strange noises, the imagery of their surroundings—dark, cobweb-covered, and full of dust—evokes a sense of fear and dread.

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Parallelism is seen in the contrast between Louise and Mark's memories of their childhood and the similar experiences they go through in the present. Through parallelism, the reader is able to compare how the past and the present are connected and how they both affect the characters' understanding of each other.

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The author personifies the dolls in the living room, giving them the characteristics of being able to watch Louise and giving them unblinking eyes. The author also personifies the stuffed animals, giving them the characteristics of understanding, waiting for Louise to come home, and comforting her.