The Amityville Horror

“On a lamppost at the end of the paved driveway is a small sign bearing the name given the house by a previous owner. It reads ‘High Hopes.’”

The author employs dramatic irony by juxtaposing the optimistic name “High Hopes” with the property’s tragic history, which the Preface has outlined. This sign becomes a symbol for the Lutzes’ aspirations and the American Dream they are pursuing. The name’s cheerful promise stands in stark contrast to the impending terror, foreshadowing the violent destruction of the family’s hopes.

“When he flicked the first holy water and uttered the words that accompany the gesture, Father Mancuso heard a masculine voice say with terrible clarity: ‘Get out!’”

This moment marks the first direct supernatural confrontation, establishing the house’s malevolent and intelligent nature. The voice’s command is a direct rebuttal to a sacred rite, introducing a conflict where religious authority is instantly and contemptuously overpowered, introducing the theme of The Failure of Modern Institutions. The author’s use of the phrase “terrible clarity” emphasizes the undeniable reality of the event, removing ambiguity for both the character and the reader.

“Over the next two days, the Lutz family began to go through a collective personality change. […] On their fourth night in the house, [Kathy] exploded and together with her husband, beat Danny, Chris, and Missy with a strap and a large, heavy wooden spoon.”

This passage details the rapid psychological deterioration of the Lutz parents, illustrating How Pressure Reveals the Fragility of the Domestic Sphere. The transformation from a loving family to one capable of violence demonstrates the house’s corrupting influence on their personalities and parental instincts. The narrator’s dispassionate tone presents this uncharacteristic brutality as a symptom of the haunting, highlighting the loss of self-control experienced by George and Kathy.