
Throughout H.P Lovecraft’s “The Rats in the Walls”, the author uses various techniques and forms throughout his writing to engage the reader. All of the information given and the suspenseful events created lead up to the thought-provoking ending of the story. Lovecraft is able to make the readers a part of the mystery. He brings the reader through an exciting climax by describing the dramatic event that takes place step by step. This causes the reader to stay hooked throughout the suspense in hopes of figuring out the mystery behind the main character, Delapore. H.P. Lovecraft’s strong usage of illusion, metaphor, as well as suspense create a very alluring plot in “The Rats in the Walls”. 

The climax begins at the end of the story when Delapore’s flashlight suddenly goes out. Lovecraft describes the eery and frightening sounds that he hears as well as the panic that begins to flood through him. The “rats” are introduced again and suddenly the reader is forced to make a decision as to what exactly the rats are from a literal perspective. At first, the story provides illusions for the reader, causing him or her to believe that there might actually be rats inside of the walls. Lovecraft uses the phrase “Something bumped into me,” as if to say that the rats are now inside of him (88). It can now be inferred that the rats are not physically there, but rather they are inside of Delapore’s mind. However, these “rats” seem to only appear when they are triggered. This brings up a new explanation for the mystery, which is that Delapore must be mentally unstable in some way. At this point in the plot, reality begins to override the illusions of fantasy. Lovecraft implies that Delapore cannot control the “rats” that ambush his brain, which can explain why he was completely delusional about why his family name was connected with evil in the beginning of the story.  

“Why shouldn’t rats eat a de la Poer as a de la Poer eats forbidden things?” (88). Lovecraft uses this quote to create an even bigger perplexity throughout the climax. He describes the de la Poer eating forbidden things as if to say that these “forbidden things” are in fact the people who have been killed by de la Poer family members in the past. He compares this to the “rats” eating the mind of a de la Poer. The rats now become a clear and direct symbol for the second mind, that of a cannibal, taking over Delapore. This allows the reader to begin to see the changes that are going through the protagonist’s mind. Lovecraft continues to use very powerful and complex diologue by having Delapore say things like “The war ate my boy, damn them all,” (88). He does this to create even more metaphors in the text. He uses “the war,” to describe the constant battle between Delapore and “the rats” that are constantly taking over his brain. The reader is able to understand “The Rats in the Walls” much more clearly after understanding the various metaphors used throughout the text. Lovecraft also uses different punctuation in this part of the passage, such as (…), to portray the diologue that is going back and forth in Delapore’s head between him and his demons. This adds a new technique to Lovecraft’s writing that may confuse the reader at first. However, it then allows him or her to be able to physically view the change that is happening to Delapore in the text.

At the end of the paragraph, Lovecraft continues to use (…) in the text. However, as the climactic event comes to a close, the words and the language that are used in the dialogue become much more difficult to understand. In fact, they eventually turn into a completely new and foreign language. Although the reader may not be able to interpret exactly what the protagonist is saying, it provides an overwhelming, yet thrilling picture in his or her mind. Lovecraft cuts off the scene by jumping back to the narration of Delapore and focusing on the effects of the event that came afterward. Rather than continuing the scene, he cuts it off to provide more suspense to the reader. He begins to narrate from the viewpoint of Delapore describing the event exactly as it was described to him. This description recounts him being crouched over Capt. Norrys’s half-eaten body, shouting the many unknown words that were previously stated in the text, such as, “ Magna Mater!...Atys…,” (89). The fact that the dialogue is almost indecipherable creates an even bigger aspect of mystery and thrill. The reader is then forced to use context to try to understand exactly what is happening. He also explains that people had blown up Exham Priory, taken his beloved cat, and finally, locked him up in a room at Hanwell. The passage closes with “They must know it was the rats,” as well as, “the rats they can never hear; the rats, the rats in the walls,” (89). This is the final piece of evidence that explains the instability of Delapore’s mind. It is now evident that Delapore had not been in control of his mind throughout the climax of the story, and that his fate was inevitable. Lovecraft closes with the title in order to give it a clearer, more genuine meaning. “The rats in the walls,” can now be metaphorical for the voices and the gruesome thoughts that take place in the protagonist’s brain.  

In conclusion, Lovecraft is able to create many illusions, metaphors, and suspenseful events throughout his piece, “The Rats in the Walls”. Rather than clearly explaining the meaning of the rats in the beginning of the story, he uses various literary techniques to keep the plot mysterious and exciting throughout the text. It becomes the job of the reader to determine a deeper meaning within the writing. The de la Poer family mystery is not solved until the last section of the story, when the reader is finally able to put the final pieces of the puzzle together. Although, even when the plot concludes, the reader may still be left with uncertainty about various aspects of the storyline. The author intends for there to be many misconceptions and confusing ideas throughout his piece. Therefore, H.P. Lovecraft is very successful in keeping the reader engaged and hooked through, and after, the entirety of the storyline.
