Spectre Bridegroom by Washington Irving

¶ … Spectre Bridegroom by Washington Irving

Washington Irving's story, "Spectre Bridegroom," consists of a number of dichotomies: superstition and reality, the ancient and the current, the old and the young, and the differences in philosophy between those still clinging to times past and those wishing to move on. The tale is short, concerning the apparently simple events surrounding the ultimately unusual marriage of the Baron's daughter. When however the story is examined in greater depth, surprising complexities reveal themselves. At the heart of the event is the complex situations and relationships developing from the dichotomy between the status quo based upon the past, and the urge towards new developments based upon the excitement and convenience that such developments might bring.

The majority of Irving's tale revolves around the preparations for Baron Von Landshort's daughter's meeting with her new bridegroom. These, along with the marriage itself, are arranged according to time honored tradition. Neither the bride nor the groom complain about their fate, as they have been educated to accept the status quo rather than challenge it. In addition to accepting her prospective marriage with some excitement, the young bride also initially appears to accept, together with all the other castle inhabitants, that her prince had in fact become a spectre by being murdered on his way to meet her.

Only later does it become apparent that the bride had in fact known the true story for some time - long enough to be courted and married without the knowledge of her father or her aunts. She does this in such a subtle manner that the transition between the status quo and the new philosophy in fact appears quite seamless. The reader is in fact rather impressed with the girl's shrewd planning in the matter. In their belief that the serenading prince was in fact a spectre, the baron's daughter was alone in her room and free to let her suitor court her without interference from her guardians. Having after all not been abducted by a spectre, her father and aunts are sufficiently relieved to accept the marriage without further objections. In this way, the young people used the superstitious beliefs dictated by the status quo to introduce a new way of life: love before marriage and marriage by choice.

The idea of dichotomy between the old and the new is substantiated via various other aspects within the story as well. One of these is the traditions that the Baron enjoys: he has inherited that traditions and habits attached to his title. Although the vastness of his wealth is somewhat diminished, he nonetheless has enough left to entertain the poorest of his relations on a regular basis. While many of his contemporaries have abandoned the inconvenience of their remote castles, the Baron however continues his adherence to tradition by maintaining his castle in the mountain. He also tends towards maintaining family feuds for the sake of tradition rather than any personal grudge. This is the case with the new, non-ghostly bridegroom, who comes from a family that is enveloped in just such a traditional feud with the Baron. On this basis, the author makes clear that a traditional marriage between the Baron's daughter and the new suitor would never be allowed. This also reveals the genius of the young couple's plan.