What is the summary of the story Nyarlathotep by H.P. Lovecraft? Information about the characters and the summary of Nyarlathotep by H.P. Lovecraft.
Nyarlathotep
“Nyarlathotep” is a short story by H. P. Lovecraft, published in 1920. The story is written in the form of a series of letters and journal entries, and it follows the narrator as he becomes obsessed with a mysterious figure known as Nyarlathotep.
The theme of “Nyarlathotep” by H. P. Lovecraft is the destructive power of obsession and the dangers of delving too deeply into the unknown and the mysterious. The story explores how the narrator’s obsession with the god-like being Nyarlathotep leads to his isolation and descent into madness. It also touches upon the cosmic indifference of the universe and the insignificance of humanity in the face of the unknown and powerful forces. Overall, the story illustrates the risks of trying to understand and control the mysterious, and the devastating consequences that can result from such attempts.
Summary
“Nyarlathotep” is a short story by H. P. Lovecraft, published in 1920. The story is written in the form of a series of letters and journal entries, and it follows the narrator as he becomes obsessed with a mysterious figure known as Nyarlathotep.
The story begins with the narrator describing his first encounter with Nyarlathotep. He sees a strange figure, dressed in black, walking the streets at night. The figure is described as a “crawling chaos,” and the narrator is immediately drawn to him. He becomes obsessed with the being and begins to track his movements across the world, eventually discovering that Nyarlathotep is responsible for a series of gruesome and bizarre events.
As the narrator’s obsession with Nyarlathotep grows, he becomes increasingly isolated from society and begins to experience strange, terrifying hallucinations. He becomes convinced that Nyarlathotep is not just a being, but an embodiment of chaos itself. The narrator becomes more and more convinced that Nyarlathotep is going to bring the end of the world.
The narrator begins to gather information and witnesses accounts of Nyarlathotep’s various forms, and the horrors he causes as he travels the world. He finds out that Nyarlathotep has been appearing to different people in different forms, such as a “pharaoh” in Egypt, a “priest” in Mesopotamia, and a “madman” in Europe. The narrator is horrified by the accounts of death and destruction caused by Nyarlathotep, and becomes convinced that the being is a force of evil that must be stopped.
As the narrator’s obsession reaches its peak, he begins to have terrifying visions of Nyarlathotep, who tells him that he is coming to destroy the world. The narrator becomes increasingly paranoid and delusional, and is eventually driven to the brink of madness. In the final entries of his journal, the narrator realizes that Nyarlathotep is not just a being, but an embodiment of chaos itself, and that his obsession with stopping Nyarlathotep has been futile.
In the end, The narrator realizes that he’s been consumed by his obsession, and that he’s lost touch with reality, his mind consumed by the unknown and the mysterious, and he slides into the abyss of insanity. The story is notable for its use of cosmic horror and the idea that the universe is indifferent to human existence. Nyarlathotep is often considered one of Lovecraft’s most memorable and terrifying creations and a central figure in the author’s cosmic mythology.
Characters
In the short story “Nyarlathotep” by H. P. Lovecraft, the main characters are:
The narrator: The narrator is an unnamed character who writes the story in the form of letters and journal entries. He is the protagonist of the story, and the reader experiences his descent into obsession and madness through his perspective.
Nyarlathotep: Nyarlathotep is the god-like being who is the center of the narrator’s obsession. He appears in different forms to different people, but is always associated with chaos and destruction. He is described as a mysterious, powerful and enigmatic figure, who is indifferent to human existence and is capable of causing great harm. He is a symbolic character representing the unknown, the mysterious, the destructive and the cosmic indifference.
The story also mentions some secondary characters such as the people that the narrator comes across while following Nyarlathotep’s movements, but they are not developed or described in detail.
