Essay Questions

Why is Vida Winter so determined her biography be written?

Winter wants to explore her dark past and let the world know about her personal life and experiences. Winter is adamant at first to take the offer, but Winter convinces her that she is the best person to write her biography. During the meeting with Lea, Winter takes her time to narrate about her past, and Lea listens so that she can document every part of Winter's story. For instance, Winter recounts the Angelfield estate where she grew up. Winter also tells Lea about the twins that were subjected to suffering before they finally died.

What is the main motif of the story ‘The Thirteenth Tale’ by Diane Setterfield?

The main motif in the entire story is memories or remembering the past. In the book, several characters are in deep thought to remember where they have come from and what they have gone through. For instance, Winter wants her biography to be written, and she remembers everything from the painful past. Similarly, Lea, who is an amateur biographer, remembers her dead twin sister. When Lea remembers her twin sister, she finds it difficult to move on. Similarly, Aurelius is in deep thought because he thinks about his family that he has little information about its whereabouts. This story's motif is significant because it shows how memories can stop someone from moving forward in life.

What is the symbolic meaning of the living dead, according to Lea?

According to Lea, people die and vanish with time. For instance, people think it is also the human flesh that perishes, but the reality is different. When a person dies, he vanishes because his voice and, laughter, and other experiences follow him. However, Lea has realized that the dead still lives through their literature work. For instance, the dead are remembered when we read about them in books and their literature work, which they leave behind.