The ignored state of Iyot House
When Edward visits the Iyot House after a long time away, he is saddened to discover the derelict state of the house. Since the house was visible from a distance, as it was quite a grand place in the village, its derelict state hints at the end of a legacy. Its gardens were unkempt, there was dust everywhere instead of the tasteful decorations. The large kitchen was dusty and devoid of any dishes. The furniture was either sold off or had gone moldy. All in all, it presented a sorry state for the owners.
Crying of doll beneath earth
When Edward visits the graveyard in the village, he is taken over by a sense of deep nostalgia. He starts to look around and after getting curious at a mound of earth that feels familiar, he presses his ear to it and hears a faint sound of a child crying. The thought is so scary and horrific of someone actually surviving after being buried and to be heard above several layers of earth. Such an idea creates some of the most horrific scenes of the story.
Crashing of the porcelain doll by Leonora
When Leonora receives her gift from Aunt Kestrel and is disappointed to find a different doll than the one she expected, she grows violent. She hurls out a great scream and throws the doll with such force, that it hits the fireplace and is cracked on the head. This act of violence by a child shows how entitled and spoiled she was.
Description of dolls
The dolls, the baby china doll and the royal Indian bride, are beautiful when they are bought by Aunt Kestrel and Edward respectively. But, as time passes the dolls, instead of remaining as they should since they were made of non-living materials that could sustain the forces of nature, change. However, the change is not in the wear and tear as one would have expected. The dolls change the way the children of the Leonora and Edward would become, one riddled with a disease that would cause her to age prematurely and other riddled with a disease that left her ugly and horrific.
