Okehurst Obsession And Insanity Alice Oke

When someone hears the word “ghost”, what comes to their mind? Do they think of ghost stories like The Shining, Casper the Friendly Ghost, or Field Mice and Buffalo? How about the gory murder mysteries where a ghost comes back to haunt their murderer? Well has anyone ever thought about something as simple as a ghost story leading to someone being obsessed to the point of insanity? When I say obsessed, I don’t mean obsessed like scared; I mean “obsessed” as in a sense of possession or an obscene liking of. In Oke of Okehurst the author demonstrates how obsession drives William and Alice Oke to insanity.
In the beginning of Oke of Okehurst, the reader meets Alice Oke. From the beginning, Alice is definitely not what someone would expect. She

The painter’s definition of Alice Oke couldn’t be more spot on. Focus on the word “insane”. That word may lead someone to ask why he calls her insane. I did as well when I first read that part. As the reader makes it farther into Oke of Okehurst, they will see just how “insane” Alice really is. Alice’s insanity was caused by an obsession over her and William’s (Mr. Oke) ancestors. This obsession and insanity tears apart Alice and William’s marriage. Alice’s ancestor, Alice Oke, daughter of Virgil Pomfret, Esq., is told to have had an affair with a man named Christopher Lovelock. The affair was found out by Alice’s husband, Nicholas. When Nicholas found out of the affair, he killed Christopher Lovelock. Since the murder, there is said to be a ghost of in the “yellow room” of the Oke’s home. This story is so interesting to Alice Oke that she becomes obsessed about the story, and not only the story, but obsessed with Alice Oke. The daughter of Virgil Pomfret, Esq. The painter once again describes Alice’s obsession in that “But I pictured to myself Mrs. Oke sitting in that yellow room- that room which no Oke of Okehurst save herself ventured to remain in alone, in the dress of her ancestress,

But in the end, was Alice the only one that was insane? What about William Oke? How could one possibly deal with a wife constantly taunting him and giving more attention to a deceased man than himself? After Alice shows up to the gathering in Christopher Lovelock’s attire, Mr. Oke changes everything about himself. In Oke of Okehurst, the painter says that “From that evening onwards things began to assume a different aspect” (Lee 142). This saying from the painter stuck out to me because he says that “things began…different…” I assume this stuck out because since the night that Mr. Oke saw the “man” in the house, things had gotten very strange. Along with that, Mr. Oke started to change drastically, and not for the better. “But Oke got worse. He was growing perfectly unstrung, like a hysterical woman,” “…when he suddenly burst out in a scarce audible voice…” (Lee 144). Those descriptions given in Oke of Okehurst by the painter stuck out because Mr. Oke is usually a very calm and collected person. He doesn’t let his emotions get to him- until now. He grows “hysterical”. It seems as if Alice’s constant obsession and insanity has lead Mr. Oke to insanity. He no longer can take his wife obsessing over Christopher and Alice. He finally reaches a breaking point to which he lets all of his emotions out onto the painter. It is