The Silk Petticoat story

ahp7x13 · 1962-01-02

Elisa Minden begins to have second thoughts about marrying Sir Humphrey J. Orford. She has these second thoughts because he took her to his wife's grave and talked about torture as a way of purifying those guilty of infidelity. After she is married, Elisa's worst fears come true when she discovers that Humphrey's first wife is not dead. She is really locked in his study and has been kept there for years. She is now insane and cannot call for help because Humphrey had her tongue out for adultery. Directed by: John Newland. Story by: Joseph Shearing, Halsted Welles & Norman Ginsbury.

13 total · 5 major · 7 minor

Theme	Level	Motivation
extramarital affair	major	Sir Humphrey went on about how his first wife had cheated on him. Indeed, the story hinges on that fact.
father and daughter	major	Elisa was tended to by her father until she got married.
newlywed couple	major	The story mostly concerns Elisa and Sir Humphrey shortly after they got married. We also learn some disturbing facts about Sir Humphrey and his first wife.
romantic jealousy	major	Sir Humphrey was notably jealous of Elisa and her cousin whom she confessed she had been attracted to in her youth.
sadism	major	It quickly becomes apparent that Sir Humphrey is a sadist who revels in cruelty. He is fascinated with torture. He keeps a gruesome painting of a man he caused to be hanged. He had cut out his first wife's tongue and kept her in captivity, tormenting her to the point where she had lost her mind.
human familial relationship	minor	Elisa met with her cousin and childhood flame, Philip.
keeping secrets	minor	The maid consented to take Elisa into Sir Humphrey's private study so long as they kept it secret from him.
lying	minor	Both Elisa and Sir Humphrey accused the other of lying.
master and servant	minor	Mrs. Boyd worked as the maid in Sir Humphrey's country mansion.
medical occupation	minor	Dr. Minden made a quip about his lodgings be too luxurious for a country doctor like himself.