Somnambulism by Charles Brockden Brown

First published: 1805

Type of plot: Mystery and detective, psychological

Time of work: The late eighteenth or early nineteenth century

Locale: The forest of Norwood, somewhere in the eastern United States

Principal Characters:

  • Althorpe, a young man
  • Constantia Davis, his beloved, who is engaged to another
  • Mr. Davis, Constantia's father
  • Nick Handyside, a physically and mentally disabled young man who likes to scare travelers

The Story

The story begins with an extract from The Vienna Gazette that tells the story of a European murder that parallels the one in "Somnambulism" in every detail. When the narrative begins, the narrator and protagonist, a young man later identified as Althorpe, tells of a dinner party at his family's home. His guest, Mr. Davis, receives an urgent letter calling him away. Though it is late at night, Davis resolves to leave immediately, and his daughter Constantia insists on going with him.

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Althorpe becomes agitated at the suggestion. He is in love with Constantia; she esteems him but is betrothed to another. He warns Mr. Davis and Constantia not to ride out that night and not to go near a particular oak tree, without saying why the tree is dangerous. Mr. Davis brushes aside Althorpe's warnings, partly from the urgency of his errand but also largely from his suspicion that Althorpe's intimations of danger are merely smokescreens for his affections, of which Constantia's father does not approve.

Unable to persuade Constantia and her father to delay their trip until morning, Althorpe offers to accompany them as guide. Althorpe's insistence and his inability to explain any rational basis for his fears confirm Davis in his decision to leave immediately and without Althorpe. Davis, along with Althorpe's uncle, finally convinces Althorpe to stay behind. After Davis and his daughter leave, Althorpe is even more agitated. He cannot sleep and sits up thinking about the ill-fated journey. His thoughts keep returning to the mysterious oak. Finally falling asleep in his chair, Althorpe dreams that he is unable to prevent an assassin from murdering Constantia but that he pursues the murderer, penetrates his disguise, and shoots him. The next morning word comes from the local doctor that Constantia has been fatally shot.

From a number of subsequent sources, Althorpe reconstructs the story of the previous night. Davis and his daughter see a figure at the oak, and Davis is convinced the figure is Althorpe. Before they can make a positive identification, the figure disappears, only to reappear farther down the road and vanish again. At this point Constantia and her father are stopped by a stranger who warns them to watch out for a local character, Nick Handyside. Nick, the stranger explains, is the retarded son of a local farmer. Nick's face is deformed, and he loves to wander the roadside at night, scaring travelers. The stranger explains that Nick is harmless.

Suddenly they hear a scream, and the horse bolts. The carriage dashes against the oak and is shattered to pieces. The servant chases after the frightened horse, leaving Davis and his daughter alone in the dark. Davis pursues the horse, too, then realizes he had better stay with his daughter. Turning back, he sees and hears a pistol shot and rushes to Constantia, finding her unconscious and bleeding. Davis takes her to the house of a nearby physician, where she dies the following morning.