Severin’s Journey into the Dark

Prague is depicted as a ghostly metropolis in Leppin and Blahut’s 1993 book Severin’s Journey into the Dark. To emphasize its complexity, the novel is specifically titled A Prague Ghost Story. The author uses a method that gives the city a strange appearance in his description of it. As a result, the book accurately describes a number of perplexing aspects of Prague and its inhabitants. Although the word “ghost” appears in the title, this does not mean that ghosts have taken over the metropolis. Instead, the author uses it as a tactical move to reveal the depth of evil taking place in Prague. Severin’s Journey into the Dark is used by Leppin to highlight the mysterious and erotic nature of Prague. The subject issue is that many mysteries are already buried in the subconscious of all the inhabitants. The term dark is perfectly used to create the image of a city that has an unpleasant past. The main challenge is that the dark practices seem to be ingrained into the people’s daily lives. Thus, as Leppin walks in Prague, it seems as if he is walking in the dark. On a broader perspective, Prague is presented as a city that straddles the link between the past and the modern. By following this approach, Leppin manages to showcase Prague in a manner that has not been achieved by any author (Leppin and Kevin 5). Precisely, Severin’s journey in Prague coincides with many people’s lives. On most occasions, people have encounters with unpleasant people who engage in all sorts of ill-motivated activities. As the book proceeds, it is evident that Prague stands out as the destroying angel that one should watch out for. The lack of social interactions in the city gives it an unusual look compared to other places (Burton, Barbara, and Nicki 190). The primary issue is that the characters in Leppin’s book have adopted numerous practices that are inappropriate. As more hate and immorality continues to build, many people keep suffering

Description of Prague

The portrayal of Prague that Leppin follows creates the image of a scary and ghostly town. For instance, Leppin terms Prague as a city characterized by darkened walls, an implication of an unattractive and gloomy place. A ghostly aspect is also portrayed by the moral decay that Leppin majors on all through the book. For example, he introduces decadent salons in which immorality is an obvious activity among Prague residents. In this case, all the unethical activities occurring in Prague surpass the normal societies where people observe their morality. With his attractive nature, the author draws the attention of many women who seek to engage in romantic activities. Since Prague stands out as a region where the residents are capable of hurting each other, the protagonist also follows suit. For example, a vast majority of women are seen making attempts to win his love. However, he shows no interest in any of them. As a result, he ends up taking a path of destruction in which he breaks the hearts of many women. The high rate at which women are interested in Severin can be matched with ghostly desires. In this case, Severin embraces a high degree of hate and cruelty that he channels to his girlfriends (Leppin and Kevin 10). This behavior portrays Prague as a city where social relationships and interactions are valued. People are seen living their lives worrying about their selfish interests without caring for each other.

Severin’s Haunted Life

Although there are no ghosts in the story, Severin is a haunted man who wanders in the streets of Prague. He drinks excessively as he continues to experience gloomy reflections. In the book, women are presented as people who can engage in any activity to win an attractive man’s heart. For example, Leppin follows a femme theme through which he highlights the practice of lesbianism. Through this concept, women get the chance to employ mystery and seduction to ensnare men as well as women. This practice results in numerous cases where men are left in some compromising and deadly situations. In this case, the ghostly elements of the book emanate from the common practices which are integral to the Prague Society (Burton, Barbara, and Nicki 192). The author’s portrayal of Prague is one that stands out due to high involvement in sin. Thus, the filthy environment created is presented as one that can accommodate strange people due to the intensity of immoral activities.

The city of Prague, as portrayed by Leppin is one that hosts numerous of wounded souls. Almost everyone has had a bad experience in the past. To be precise, it is as if the people are trapped in an unfriendly environment that subjects them to extreme suffering on a daily basis. The inner decay is an issue that indulges Severin into depression, an aspect that forces him to wander in the streets anyhow. Leppin’s portrayal of Prague is one that does not know innocence. As such, it causes harm to all people regardless of who they are, or what they do. This aspect gives the city a ghostly character because it is a zone that exposes people to extreme suffering. Severin’s role in the book is one that portrays ghostly factors. For example, he is a loner who does not enjoy the company of other people. This factor is high to the extent that he disassociates himself from women (Leppin and Kevin 20). To be precise, he is just an unlucky man caught in the sickly and inhumane treatment that emanates from the core of Prague. Another complex aspect of Severin as presented by Leppin is nihilism. His nihilistic delusions force him to believe that everything around him is unreal. This nihilistic approach serves the purpose of giving the book a ghostly touch. Thus, the book is highly associated with ghosts due to the different character traits that Severin embraces. Apart from being hateful and nihilistic, he is also anxious, selfish, and detached from the rest of the society. The story does not seem to have an absolution or awakening for Severin and the other characters. Their ruin is inevitable since ghosts serve the purpose of annihilating people. It is evident that the degree of Severin’s suffering is so deep that there are no chances of emerging victorious. The aspects of degeneracy and sloth are apparent in the book. The love for unusual activities that would be disregarded in most cities is what Prague enjoys. The complexities of Prague cannot be accommodated in a sane society, hence depicting the presence or involvement of ghosts (Burton, Barbara, and Nicki 199). As the people continue suffering on a daily basis, none is seen to make efforts to get out. It is as if they are all trapped and helpless, thereby settling in an unfriendly environment. As the book’s title suggests, Severin continues taking a journey into the dark without any plans to evade the darkness.

Severin’s Character

Throughout the book, Leppin continues to build on the ghostly aspects of Prague based on how he describes places and people. The character of Severin perfectly matches that of a ghost based on how he conducts himself. For example, Severin is a man whose life is influenced by erotic fantasies that he is unable to achieve. His idea of wandering in the Prague streets restlessly at night presents him as an abnormal person. To be precise, it is only ghosts that are known to engage in night activities without fear. The case of Severin is unique in that while wandering at night; he embraces his loneliness to the point of living in solitude. As presented by Leppin, Severin is a disturbed protagonist whose life lacks meaning. As such, he wanders around the city seeking to find a solution to his solitude life. Since Prague does not seem to have the necessary solutions, Severin’s life gets darker and darker in every step he makes. Destruction is a central theme of the book in that each character engages in activities that affect other people negatively. Despite being depressed and in suffering, Severin’s life is destroyed once he falls in love with one woman. As if his tribulations are not enough, the only woman he gives into ends up causing him immeasurable pain. The women Severin avoids for a larger part of his character follow him until the end. This determination and persistence are traits that can be directly associated with ghosts (Leppin and Kevin 33). Thusly, the ghosts mentioned in Severin’s Journey into the Dark are not real ones, but rather the ill-motivated actions embraced by everyone in the city. Also, it is evident that the lives of all characters are complex in various ways, an aspect that hinders their chances of improving the city’s morality. As such, the disorder and disrespect for humanity are challenges that Leppin portrays as ingrained into the culture of the Prague city.

Unusual Characters

Leppin’s book focuses on the unusual characters of Prague residents, especially those who interact closely with Severin. In normal societies, people are expected to embrace one another, regardless of their differences. However, the situation is quite different in Prague, where people’s habits and passions portray a city that is occupied and haunted by ghosts. For example, people do not embrace love, especially when it comes to building intimate relationships (Burton, Barbara, and Nicki 199). In one instance, Severin’s partner’s love is highlighted as one that can fly away like dandelion seeds in summer storms. The absence of love in her heart leaves a never ending sadness that she cannot overcome. Based on this aspect, it is indisputable that the Prague people’s lives are permanently attached to sadness and sorrow due to their past sins and mistakes. On a broader perspective, their best days are gone, and they are unlikely to return. Leppin brings forth an urban area whose decay is beyond repair, an issue that continues to complicate the people’s lives. The life of Severin is the worst of all considering his prolonged suffering. The author’s presentation of Severin is indeed that of a man who is haunted on a daily basis. For example, Leppin asserts that Severin was surrounded by bare walls that rose around him to the extent of blocking his view. Every gaze he took showed him the same images, meaning that things never changed. This ideology implies that Severin’s world was similar each day, without any new developments taking place.

Selfishness and Ill-motivated Actions

In real life, ghosts are feared due to the trauma and loss of life they cause to those they come across. The actions undertaken by some of the characters in the books pose negative outcomes on others. As the protagonist, Severin is one such character whose actions cannot be adored. For example, he keeps falling in love with women, and later abandoning them after getting intimate with them. On a certain occasion, he impregnates a woman and leaves her instead of taking the role of a father seriously. Leppin also showcases Severin’s happiness once he learns that the pregnant woman suffered a stillbirth. This aspect proves that he is a man who has no respect for women and children. Death is also witnessed when Severin poisons his friend’s raven for no apparent reason. In this case, the actions and interests of many people of Prague are ones that are unacceptable in many societies (Burton, Barbara, and Nicki 200). The sinful and immoral activities make Prague appear as a home for ghosts. The city’s disrespect for life is also evident when a waitress that Leppin describes as sullen, uses cracked glasses to serve guests beer. The heinous activities taking place in the book are so extreme that they cannot be associated with normal human beings. For instance, serving people drinks in cracked glasses is an indication of how valueless they are. This complex approach enables the author to unearth all the complex personalities residing in Prague. From the protagonist to the other character, it is evident that the city hosts lots of weird people.

Conclusion

Leppin’s narration revolves around the protagonist’s complicated life in Prague. The book is labeled a ghost story, even though there are no ghosts involved. Leppin follows this approach since it is the best way in which he can highlight the society’s decadence. By majoring in the character of Severin, the author manages to focus on sexual injustices and the people’s disrespect for one another. For example, Severin tricks many women whom he ends up abandoning after satisfying his sexual ego. However, he is not safe since he also gets treated harshly by the woman he plans to settle with. Prague is also occupied by many immoral women whose time is spent in salons luring men with their beauty. The book receives the ghost image from the heinous and immoral activities that the residents seem to be enjoying. On a different note, the people are always sad since they have nothing positive to engage in. There is also the dark walls of the city that give it a gloomy look. This portrayal by Leppin makes Prague appear as a city that is occupied by ghosts. To be precise, there is nothing important happening there, except immorality and an ever-increasing hatred among the residents. In this case, the author perfectly matches the Prague residents’ lives with ghostly activities.

Works Cited

Burton, Richard D. E, Barbara Day, and Nicki Averill. Prague: A Cultural and Literary History. Oxford: Signal Books, 2003. Print.

Leppin, Paul, and Kevin Blahut. Severins’s Journey into the Dark: A Prague Ghost Story. Prague: Twisted Spoon Press, 1993. Print.