#the ash-tree

[bracketsoffear]

The Ash-Tree (M.R. James) "In the year 1690, a woman known as Mrs. Mothersole is found guilty of being a witch and condemned to death, largely on the strength of testimony given by Sir Matthew Fell. Shortly afterwards, Sir Matthew dies in mysterious and horrific circumstances. Some fifty years later, Sir Richard inherits his grandfather's former home. He finds that an ash tree in the grounds of the house is causing him problems. (Spoilers)

Charlotte's Web (E.B. White) "The titular Charlotte saves Wilbur, a runt pig from slaughter by writing words in her web and making him famous. At the end of the novel, Wilbur wins a special prize at the country fair thanks to Charlotte, and she dies, leaving her spider eggs to Wilbur.

It's not just that Charlotte's a spider, she is actually a genuinely good web avatar. She manipulates a whole farm, and then a town into thinking Wilbur is something special so he doesn't get killed. She literally weaves a web. She is very dedicated to Wilbur's success, so much so that when she dies, it's sort implied that she kept herself alive until Wilbur was confirmed to be survive and the farm wouldn't kill her"

Web Leitner Bracket Round 3 Bout 4

The Ash-Tree (M.R. James)

Charlotte's Web (E.B. White)

Voting ended onApr 18, 2024

Somehow the witch's body was in the tree, along with several spiders the size of a man's head. Those are what killed Sir Matthew. Reminiscent of Burned Out in the imagery of setting the tree aflame and killing all the giant spiders as they scuttle out.

[bracketsoffear]

'The Fatalist' in A Hero of Our Time (Mikhail Lermontov) "The last chapter of A Hero of Our Time is titled 'The Fatalist' - someone who holds the belief that all events are predetermined and therefore inevitable. The characters in it are debating whether or not fatalism is a valid worldview, and Lieutenant Vulic decides to test it. he states that everything is predetermined and our actions do not matter, loads the gun, points it at his forehead and pulls the trigger. nothing happens. Later that same night Vulic gets killed by a drunk Cossack. In high school we had to write multiple essays on this chapter and argue whether or not we think free will exists and is fatalism valid. It caused me a huge existential crisis. i recommend reading this chapter if you are in mood for a crisis, as it is short, free and available online here."

The Ash-Tree (M.R. James) "In the year 1690, a woman known as Mrs. Mothersole is found guilty of being a witch and condemned to death, largely on the strength of testimony given by Sir Matthew Fell. Shortly afterwards, Sir Matthew dies in mysterious and horrific circumstances. Some fifty years later, Sir Richard inherits his grandfather's former home. He finds that an ash tree in the grounds of the house is causing him problems. (Spoilers)

Web Leitner Bracket Round 2 Bout 7

'The Fatalist' in A Hero of Our Time (Mikhail Lermontov)

The Ash-Tree (M.R. James)

Voting ended onApr 17, 2024

Somehow the witch's body was in the tree, along with several spiders the size of a man's head. Those are what killed Sir Matthew. Reminiscent of Burned Out in the imagery of setting the tree aflame and killing all the giant spiders as they scuttle out.

[bracketsoffear]

50 Shades of Gray (E.L. James) "okay not to get too blue, but BDSM is kinda web-coded, and that goes double for the deeply coercive and unsafe dynamics shown here."

The Ash-Tree (M.R. James) "In the year 1690, a woman known as Mrs. Mothersole is found guilty of being a witch and condemned to death, largely on the strength of testimony given by Sir Matthew Fell. Shortly afterwards, Sir Matthew dies in mysterious and horrific circumstances. Some fifty years later, Sir Richard inherits his grandfather's former home. He finds that an ash tree in the grounds of the house is causing him problems. (Spoilers)

Web Leitner Bracket Round 1 Bout 14

50 Shades of Gray (E.L. James)

The Ash-Tree (M.R. James)

Voting ended onApr 16, 2024

Somehow the witch's body was in the tree, along with several spiders the size of a man's head. Those are what killed Sir Matthew. Reminiscent of Burned Out in the imagery of setting the tree aflame and killing all the giant spiders as they scuttle out.

[realllyrandommann]

Rn crying over a freaking tree full of spiders

They have brought their mumther to their little lair and never forgiven 🥹

I know they're evil and all, and the other people weren't bad either, but I just have feelings abt animals and plants

[universitybookstore]

Time to revisit our old friend M. R. James this Frightful Friday with one of our favorite ghost stories ever. In “The Ash-tree”, James drew upon one of his own phobias (a quite common one, in fact) to create a sublime creepy-crawly tale with a fiery climax that is utterly unforgettable.

“There will be guests at the Hall.”

[aquitainequeen]

When Mr. Crome thought of starting for home, about half-past nine o'clock, Sir Matthew and he took a preliminary turn on the gravelled walk at the back of the house. The only incident that struck Mr. Crome way this: they were in sight of the ash-tree which I described as growing near the windows of the building, when Sir Matthew stopped and said: "What is that that runs up and down the stem of the ash? It is never a squirrel? They will all be in their nests by now." The Vicar looked and saw the moving creature, but he could make nothing of its colour in the moonlight. The sharp outline, however, seen for an instant, was imprinted on his brain, and he could have sworn, he said, though it sounded foolish, that, squirrel or not, it had more than four legs.

'The Ash-tree' by M.R. James