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As a work of horror fiction, “The Call of Cthulhu” is meant to elicit a strong emotional response from readers. Lovecraft accomplishes this goal through a particularly cosmic lens, simultaneously emphasizing the terrifying nature of the unknown and the dangers of knowing too much. He further enhances these unsettling themes through the structure of the narrative itself. By relying on literary elements such as foreshadowing and dramatic irony, Lovecraft imbues Thurston’s journey with a level of suspense that mimics the mysterious nature of Cthulhu and its cult. The reader’s experience becomes even more frightening because, unlike Thurston, they know how his pursuit of knowledge will end. He spends almost the entirety of the story trying to make logical sense of strange statues and violent cults before becoming aware of the enormous monstrosity that inspires them. This psychological struggle, from Thurston’s initial discovery of Wilcox’s bas-relief to reading Johansen’s firsthand account of Cthulhu, serves as the story’s central conflict. Thurston must overcome his own logical impulses in order to accept the reality of Cthulhu’s existence and the unimaginable darkness that the universe contains. Of course, the conflict also becomes physical at some point between the writing and publication of Thurston’s manuscript as Lovecraft implies that members of the cult kill him for knowing too much.
In the first section of the story, Lovecraft establishes a number of key principles which prove vital to his exploration of the unknowable universe. He indicates that the narrative is a manuscript left behind by the late Francis Wayland Thurston of Boston, revealing that Thurston dies before the plot gets underway. This choice allows for dramatic irony and suspense to permeate Thurston’s entire journey. When Thurston’s manuscript finally begins, he wastes no time in introducing his central argument by suggesting that ignorance is a blessing in his first lines. This bold assessment offers the reader a framework for understanding the strange and disturbing series of events that will unfold throughout the remainder of the narrative. All of these structural and rhetorical choices lead to the story’s inciting incident, occurring when Thurston inherits the belongings of his grand-uncle Professor Angell. Professor Angell began compiling information about Cthulhu and its cult prior to his death, and Thurston becomes the unwitting recipient of this terrifying information as he opens up a locked box with a strange bas-relief hidden inside.
From the moment he lays eyes on the sculpture and the collection of papers that accompany it, Thurston’s interest is piqued, and he begins his quest to solve the mystery of what Cthulhu is and why people have connections to it. This research process, which he first approaches in a very scientific manner, serves as the story’s rising action. With each testimony he reads or hears, Thurston’s understanding of the size and reach of Cthulhu becomes clearer. He first learns of Wilcox, his mysterious bas-relief, and the strange dreams he has from Professor Angell’s notes, and he finds it odd that other artists and poets from around the world reported similar dreams during the same period as Wilcox’s sudden fever. Thinking rationally, however, Thurston convinces himself that Wilcox must have had prior knowledge of Professor Angell’s earlier research about Cthulhu. He goes on to read Professor Angell’s records on his meeting with Inspector Legrasse, the man who first introduced him to the Cthulhu cult. This additional information helps Thurston understand why his grand-uncle would be so intrigued by Wilcox’s sculpture all those years later, but he still views the cult and its rituals in purely materialistic terms.
By the time the third section of the story arrives, Thurston admits that he had largely given up trying to solve the mystery of the Cthulhu cult. This lack of interest increases the suspense for the reader who knows that Thurston will eventually die. Reading Johansen’s story in the Sydney Bulletin article pulls him back in, however, and he becomes so invested in the suspicious nature of his experience at sea that he travels across the world to speak with him. When Johansen’s wife reveals that he died after returning and hands over his final manuscript, Thurston can no longer deny the unnatural and terrifying existence of Cthulhu. This moment serves as the novel’s climax as Thurston must confront his perception of reality and the insignificance of his existence in the universe. He may not literally confront Cthulhu as Johansen did, but merely realizing its power is enough to haunt him. The falling action of the story involves everything that Thurston does to cope with this newfound knowledge. He writes his own testimony, praying that no one else will unravel the mystery of the Cthulhu cult, and locks it away. Of course, the fact that the reader has read Thurston’s story emphasizes that he ultimately failed in his goal to protect others from learning of Cthulhu. He, like every other character who knew too much, soon becomes a victim of the cult, and his death reiterates the threat of knowledge.
