An Analysis of Two Scenes from Anne Radcliffe's The Romance of the Forest

The most important characters of the story, La Motte and his wife, are well known. We already know a lot about them for, as the story opens, they are leaving Paris because La Motte is being persecuted for the debts he has accumulated by gambling. In the preceding scene, the La Motte family have lost their way in the dark night. La Motte himself is 'captured' and held prisoner for a little while by a group of 'ruffians' after attempting to seek refuge in their house. He is, therefore, worried about his plans of escape which seems to be ruined, and he is feeling dubious about his future. However, he is to find out that it is not him whom the ruffians are after, but that they need to get rid of a young girl of eighteen who is to be forcefully left in his care. We witness a complication of the plot and a greater amount of uncertainty and mystery as to the future development of the story. On the other hand, the passage develops further La Motte's character, and attempts to present his reactions in a more complex situation than those in which we have seen him up to this moment. One other principal function of the passage is, to introduce another major character, or rather the most important one, that of Adeline who will at once cause the quickening of the pace of the narrative. She will establish a greater tension in the future by putting La Motte into danger of being discovered but also by becoming the cause of every problem in the novel.