Antonia Susan Byatt
POSSESSION. A Romance
Structure
INTRODUCTION
Nathaniel Hawthorne, The House of the Seven Gables
Robert Browning, from Mr. Sludge, “the Medium”
CHAPTER I
Quote: Randolph Henry ASH, The Garden of Proserpina
September 1986 – London Library
ROLAND MITCHELL 29, literary researcher, Ph. D. in
Literature
Researching R.H. ASH  Victorian Poet
His boss: scholar James BLACKADDER – British
Museum
Roland is reading G. VICO’s Principi di Scienza Nuova
He finds two DRAFTS of a letter to an UNKNOWN LADY
he met at Crabb ROBINSON’s breakfast
ROLAND steals the drafts and does not tell Blackadder
CHAPTER II
R. H. ASH, Ragnarök Nordic epic poem
Mortimer Cropper – Trustee of the Stant
Collection at Robert Dale Owen University, Harmon
City, New Mexico. Curator of R.H. ASH’s
correspondence and memorabilia.
Robert’s sense of failure in his life with
Val and their unhappy relationship
Fergus Wolff – Roland’s departmental rival.
Roland wonders who ASH was
writing to in his drafts
CHAPTER III
R. H. ASH, Ragnarök III
Roland at Bloomsbury: photocopies drafts
Consultation of CRABB Robinson’s diary
June 1858  Ash met Miss La Motte and Miss Glover at
Crabb’s breakfast
Roland informs Blackadder of the existence of the two drafts
From Blachadder Roland comes to know about:
 Isadore La Motte’s father wrote Mythologies (legend of
Brittainy)
 Miss la Motte’s and her writings
 Ash’s wife Ellen Best’s personal journal and Helpmeets, a
book about the wifes of great men
 He knows about Christabel’s The Fairy Melusina and
about MAUD at Lincoln’s Women’s Resources Centre
CHAPTER IV
Christabel La Motte, The Fairy Melusina
At LINCOLN Womens’ Centre Roland visits
MAUD and learns about La Motte’s family and
Christabel’s life with Blanche Glover, an artist
who drowned in 1861.
After Blanche’s death Christabel goes to live with
her sister Sophie. She no longer wrote poetry.
MAUD, a Bailey is tall, cold, perhaps hostile. She
only knows about a few letters kept by George
Bailey at Seal Court.
Roland shows Maud the letters he stole and she is
intrigued
CHAPTER V
Ash’s The Incarcerated Sorceress
Maud and Roland visit the area and see Seal
Court and they vist La Motte’s grave in the
nearabouts.The two are unvited at Seal Court .
They mention Christabel.
Maud and they notices the dolls remind her of
the poem “Dolly keeps a secret”.
They find the packet of letters in side the doll’s
cot. The letters are taken by Sir George the
owner.
Maud and Roland want to convince George to
let them study the letters.
CHAPTER VI
Ash’s The Great Collector
Cropper interest in having everthing from
ASH
Ash’s letter about the occult and spirit
communication
Hints at Ash’s wedding and honeymoon
at Fontaine de Valcluse, France.
Cropper believes EMBLA represents a
real womanin Ash’s life.
Cropper set a meeting with Miss
Beatrice Nest
CHAPTER VII
Christabel La Motte’ s poems
Miss Beatrice NEST is interested in Ellen
Best Ash’s papers
Ellen wrote a journal. Roland reads it
before Cropper
Roland comes to know Maud and he can
study Christabel’s letters.
CHAPTER VIII
Christabel La Motte’ s poems
Maud and Roland read the letters in Sir
George Bailey’s library.
They come to know La Motte is worried
somebody might be seen by other people.
The letters unveil the two poets’ interest in
poetry, the difference between romance and
novel.
Leonora Stern visits the winter garden La
Motte loved.
Maud and Roland remain at Seals Court and
Roland feels attracted to Maud
CHAPTER IX
Christabel La Motte’s
The Treshold is quoted.
CHAPTER X
Roland and Maud go on reading
THE CORRESPONDENCE
Ash sends Christabel a poem.
Ash wants to write a poem about
insect life.
CHAPTER XI
ASH‘s Swammerdam
Swammerdam
The poem is quoted
CHAPTER XII
Christabel La Motte’s poem
Maud and Roland have gone to Bethany in
Richmond where Christabel lived.
Maud starts suspecting that Ash was
accompanied by La Motte in his journey to
Yorkshire in 1859 during his natural history
expedition. (Darwin’s influence)
Reference to “HOB” in one of Ash’s letters to Ellen.
The two researchers come across the same
mention in Blanche’s notes.
Their meeting with Beatrice to review Ellen’s journal
for June 1859.
Ellen receives a strange letter from Blanche.
CHAPTER XIII
R. H. ASH, Ragnarök (extract)
Maud and Roland went to Yorkshire
seaside.
They read about their heroes and
come across a coincidence: they
both write about gloves.
They visit shops in the area and it
comes out Maud is wearing a jet hair
brooch by an artist: she has inherited
the brooch from Christabel.
CHAPTER XIV
R. H. ASH, poem
Ash’s letter to Ellen. Maud
and Roland go to Boggle
Hole.
CHAPTER XV
R. H. ASH, poem
The railway trip to Yorkshire by
Ash and La Motte:
Their stay
They love
 Their walk to BOGGLE HOLE
CHAPTER XVI
C. La Motte, The Fairy Melusine
Quotation of the whole poem
CHAPTER XVII
Blackadder’s studies on Ash’s
Mummy Possest.
Fergus looks for Maud and Roland
and to Val.
Meeting Fergus and Cropper
CHAPTER XVIII
Christabel’s poems about gloves
Christabel’s poem about gloves
Discovery of Christabel’s stay in
France
The value of their letters and George
Bailey
Maud and Roland go to Brittany
CHAPTER XIX
Sabine’s de Kercoz’s City of Is
Maud and Roland are on a ship to France.
They read Sabine’s journal from October 1959
CHAPTER XX
Christabel’s poem (about death?)
The meeting of spiritualists is at the centre of
attention. La Motte and Ash were present and Ash
asks Christabel where the child is.
BlacKadder wants to be sure all papers concerning the
Vitorian poets’correspondence remaiuns in England.
CHAPTER XXI
Ash’s Mummy Possest
Quotation of Mummy Possest
CHAPTER XXII
Val and her new boyfriend are at the
horse races .
They are joined by Toby Byng and they
discuss his involvement in the Ash-La
Motte correspondence.
Discussion of legal copyright and
ownership problems.
CHAPTER XXIII
Maud and Roland still in Brittany
Their growing love relationship
Discuss destiny of Christabel’s child.
Leonora’s arrival at their hotel
CHAPTER XXIV
They go back to Lincoln
Meeting with Val, her boyfriend, and
all others
Discussion of how La Motte
wanted all her books and
copyright should go to Maia
Thomasine Bailey .
The letters belong to Maud.
Beatrice Nest is worried about
Cropper and Fergus
CHAPTER XXV
Ellen Ash’s Journal
Ellen’s journal: the day of Ash’s death
Mortimer Cropper knows in Ash’s grave
a box is hidden, the one laid by Ellen
Christabel letter to Ash: she wanted it
to be given to him
Mention to Ash’s visit to Brittany and
his meeting with Sabine
Ellen recalls her failed attempts at sex
with her husband
Ellen places the unopened letter into
Ash’s grave.
CHAPTER XXVI
Ash’s Garden of Proserpina
•Roland is given a job offer from Hong Kong,
Amsterdam and Barcelona.
•Blackadder sends him a generous letter
CHAPTER XXVII
Ash’s poem
The grave robbery by Cropper
He is caught by Roland, Maud, leonora, Blackadder and Nest.
Maud wants to learn the end of the story
From the unopened letter Ash is described as a flaming
presence causing Christabel to catch fire
THE POSTSCRIPT
Meeting between
Ash and May on a
hot May day