The Ritual

Content Warning: This section includes discussion of death, graphic violence, and imprisonment.

“And on the second day things did not get better.”

This is the opening line of The Ritual. Nevill begins many sentences with conjunctions, especially “and” and “but.” Here, beginning the first sentence with a conjunction highlights how the novel begins in medias res, or in the middle of things, for the four friends in the forest. The phrase “things did not get better” also foreshadows the danger the four men are already in to build tension and narrative momentum.

“I don’t think people are supposed to come here.”

This is an ominous statement by Luke shortly before the nightmares and killings of his friends begin. After seeing the mutilated animal and finding the black house, Luke only wants to retreat back to the trails, out of the virgin forest. This develops the theme of The Clash Between Modernity and Ancient Beliefs—the creature that haunts and harms them only has power in the wilderness.

“My name is Luke and I am on the floor.”

This is when Luke wakes up from his nightmare in the black house, and the only time Nevill uses the first person. In the preceding nightmare, Nevill uses the second person, and the first person indicates that Luke’s dream has ended. For the majority of the novel, Nevill uses the close third person.