Long Lankin
The Characters of the book I am currently reading -“Long Lankin” are very complex, but only one
really changes. That is Ida Eastfield, who at the beginning of the book
immediately rejects the children staying at her house because their parents are
away. At the time, it is unclear why, aside from mysterious side comments and
thoughts, there seems to be no reason to want to keep them out. Eventually Ida
has to give in, and the children, (Cora and Mimi) Stay at Ida’s house.
To Cora,
the place seems bolted down. All the windows are boarded up, the doors are
locked and closed, and there are many rooms they are not allowed in. As Cora
talks with Ida, she feels more and more imprisoned by Ida’s rules “… never –
mustn’t – can’t – don’t… Like a flippin’ prison!”(Barraclough 46). (Much) Later on, Cora understands the
need to follow these rules, because she is in a danger that is barely
understood, and hardly talked about in the little town. This quote is from
Cora’s mother, when she was little. She learned the hard way why the doors are
locked. There is a dormant evil at the church that cannot be angered.
“… but
I’m so sorry I opened the door that day, I was messing about on the piano when
I heard something coming down the hall. I was worried you had finished in the
barn without me seeing you and you’d be really cross with me for opening the
door when you specially told me not to, specially because the tide was out, you
said, but I didn’t know why you said that. There was this really nasty smell,
like old earth and dead things, and a slithering noise, like something crawling
along the floorboards. The smell got stronger and the sound got louder till it
was right by the door. My mouth went watery like metal and my hands went all
sticky…” (Barraclough 609).
Cora’s mother was listening to Long Lankin creep up on her sister to take her away. Cora's mother never saw her sister again.
When Cora reads this she finally knows why all these rules apply. She felt the need after that to protect her sister, and she never went down to the church (Lankin's hideout) again, for fear Mimi would be taken.
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