25 English -- The Oval Portrait

Discuss the story as a frame narrative ( a story within a story).

Discuss the story as a frame narrative ( a story within a story).

The story itself has two different storied one about the narrator and second about the oval portrait which the narrator noticed. It is not clear why did the narrator go to that abandoned chateau which was not used by anyone for long time and why the narrator went there with his servant at the night time. The chateau was near a mountain range in Italy which was not used for very long time. At the night time when the candelabrum fell and then he saw a vivid light a picture which was never noticed before which was oval on structure was of a beautiful girl just ripening into womanhood.Though the portrait only had her head and shoulders, it still appeared perfectly glorious. Then the story about that oval portrait starts when the narrator reads about it. The portrait was made by a  painter and that of this wife who was maiden of rarest beauty and the painter was a passionate, studious, austere and who loved his art more than anything. Due to his passion towards art and making the art lively he lost his subject of the work which was his own wife. He says" This is indeed life itself!" When the portrait gets completed but later finds out that his wife is dead. This story is explanation of art and life with literature. It is still unknown why did the narrator along with his servant went to the only chateau.

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