Next

Appearances can be deceiving.

Nothing is as it appears on the surface in “The Landlady,” which creates a sense of dramatic irony and builds suspense throughout the story. Bath appears to be a quiet, simple, safe place. The street Billy walks down is lined by identical houses, suggesting order and predictability, but within at least one of these houses lives an almost unimaginable evil. Indeed, the fact that no one has yet found the landlady out means it isn’t only Billy Weaver who is fooled by appearances. The landlady herself has an unassuming exterior: small, polite, and smiles warmly. However, underneath the landlady’s harmless appearance is a calculating, evil murderer. Her home looks to be safe and cozy, occupied by animals and presumably other boarders, but in fact, the animals are dead, there are no boarders, and the home is a death trap.

As the story progresses, the true nature of the landlady and her home is slowly revealed, but Billy seems clueless until it is far too late. He is deceived by appearances and dismisses anything fishy by referring to the harmless surface nature of the landlady’s home. Animals in the house is a good sign; the landlady is obviously a kind and generous person; the tea may taste bad, but it’s just tea after all—all of these superficial observations distract from the growing evidence that Billy is in danger. The sense of dramatic irony—as the danger mounts but the protagonist seems unaware of it—creates suspense for the reader, ultimately making the climax of Billy’s dawning realization feel all the more hopeless, as his recognition of reality comes too late.

Evil takes advantage of people's good natures.

One of the ironies of Billy Weaver’s demise is that his good nature makes him more susceptible to harm. It is significant that the landlady mentions how suitable Billy is as a boarder, that he is “just exactly right.” This may reference some sexual desire or other preference for young, attractive men, but it also refers to Billy’s personality. Billy exudes a trusting naiveté, which makes him a good and unwitting victim. People with evil intent know that the more trusting and generous of spirit someone is, the easier it is to take advantage of them. So it is with Billy and the landlady. She knows Billy would never suspect a mild-mannered, middle-aged woman to be a murderer, making Billy the perfect target.

The incident regarding the guestbook is particularly revealing here. Billy is ready to go to sleep immediately after unpacking, but the landlady needs Billy to come downstairs and drink some poisoned tea if she is to succeed in her evil plan of killing and stuffing Billy. Therefore, she appeals to Billy’s sense of morality when she tells him the law requires that he sign the guestbook. She doesn’t threaten him with the law in an officious way, but rather appeals to his own moral sense by saying, “[W]e don’t want to go breaking any laws at this stage in the proceedings, do we?” It is a manipulative way of getting Billy to decide for himself to come downstairs and drink some tea, rather than forcing it on him. Similarly, when Billy agrees to tea and cookies despite not being hungry, it is Billy’s good nature which impels him to do so, ultimately leading to his death. 

Isolation and seclusion can be harmful and dangerous. 

Like many classic tales of horror, “The Landlady” explores the dangers of isolation and seclusion. Billy’s isolation upon his arrival in Bath becomes a dangerous liability when he meets the landlady. Indeed, Billy himself appears to understand this vulnerability. When deliberating about whether to stay at the bed and breakfast, he considers how much better it would be at The Bell and Dragon, to be around people. And when Billy realizes that there doesn’t appear to be anyone else staying at the landlady’s house, it gives him pause for the first time. These examples indicate that Billy understands the dangers of traveling alone. However, if Billy’s isolation directly contributes to his demise, it is the landlady’s seclusion that is the root cause of his death. For whatever reason, this woman has come to live alone. She must have few if any friends because her behavior would certainly arouse suspicion among them if they existed. She taxidermies her pets as a way to alleviate her loneliness, but it isn’t enough, and the spectacle only fuels her psychosis. Because the landlady is utterly alone, there is no one to intervene and she marinates by herself in this toxic environment. The landlady’s seclusion has turned her into a monster capable of killing young and naïve men.

Next section Themes

Take a Study Break