Daughter of Darkness (novel)
Encyclopedia
'Daughter of Darkness' is a 1973 psychological thriller written by Jan and Robert Lowell, a husband and wife who use the joint pseudonym J.R. Lowell.
with an extremely high IQ. Her parents believe her to be a happy, contented child, but this is a carefully contrived mask. Her primary motivation is independence; she detests anyone making decisions for her, especially based on her age or appearance. Her very name, Willamina Junior, made her feel like a bad carbon copy, until she discovered Gertrude Stein
's The World Is Round
and began to call herself Willie.
She has made a thorough study of anthropology
and is an accomplished practitioner of witchcraft
and sympathetic magic
. Her doll collection is actually an array of poppet
s which she uses to curse those who displease her. This backfires on her when one of her spells leads to her mother's death. Willie's remorse and her wish to see her father happy again develops over the years into incest
uous desire, although Willie herself does not realize it.
's Book of the Damned. Her sickness-causing chant "A big pain a little pain/ A small pain a great pain" is from Witchcraft: Its Power in the World Today
by William Seabrook.
Plot
A young woman named Willamina "Willie" Connolly is the daughter of a prosperous New York couple, editor Matt Connolly and his wife Willamina, an Irish concert pianist. Willie is a child prodigyChild prodigy
A child prodigy is someone who, at an early age, masters one or more skills far beyond his or her level of maturity. One criterion for classifying prodigies is: a prodigy is a child, typically younger than 18 years old, who is performing at the level of a highly trained adult in a very demanding...
with an extremely high IQ. Her parents believe her to be a happy, contented child, but this is a carefully contrived mask. Her primary motivation is independence; she detests anyone making decisions for her, especially based on her age or appearance. Her very name, Willamina Junior, made her feel like a bad carbon copy, until she discovered Gertrude Stein
Gertrude Stein
Gertrude Stein was an American writer, poet and art collector who spent most of her life in France.-Early life:...
's The World Is Round
The World is Round
The World is Round is a science fiction novel by Tony Rothman published in 1978 by Ballantine Books.-Plot summary:The story concerns a world named Patra-Bannk , and a crew of explorers from another world named Two-Bit , seeking a treasure of metallic hydrogen.Upon arriving at the planet, the four...
and began to call herself Willie.
She has made a thorough study of anthropology
Anthropology
Anthropology is the study of humanity. It has origins in the humanities, the natural sciences, and the social sciences. The term "anthropology" is from the Greek anthrōpos , "man", understood to mean mankind or humanity, and -logia , "discourse" or "study", and was first used in 1501 by German...
and is an accomplished practitioner of witchcraft
Witchcraft
Witchcraft, in historical, anthropological, religious, and mythological contexts, is the alleged use of supernatural or magical powers. A witch is a practitioner of witchcraft...
and sympathetic magic
Sympathetic magic
Sympathetic magic, also known as imitative magic, is a type of magic based on imitation or correspondence.-Similarity and contagion:The theory of sympathetic magic was first developed by Sir James George Frazer in The Golden Bough...
. Her doll collection is actually an array of poppet
Poppet
The word poppet is an older spelling of puppet, from the Middle English popet, meaning a small child or doll. In British Dialect it continues to hold this meaning. Poppet is also a chiefly English term of endearment.-Folk magic:...
s which she uses to curse those who displease her. This backfires on her when one of her spells leads to her mother's death. Willie's remorse and her wish to see her father happy again develops over the years into incest
Incest
Incest is sexual intercourse between close relatives that is usually illegal in the jurisdiction where it takes place and/or is conventionally considered a taboo. The term may apply to sexual activities between: individuals of close "blood relationship"; members of the same household; step...
uous desire, although Willie herself does not realize it.
Sources
Willie's incantation "Everything that is won't be/ Everything that isn't will be" is from Charles FortCharles Fort
Charles Hoy Fort was an American writer and researcher into anomalous phenomena. Today, the terms Fortean and Forteana are used to characterize various such phenomena. Fort's books sold well and are still in print today.-Biography:Charles Hoy Fort was born in 1874 in Albany, New York, of Dutch...
's Book of the Damned. Her sickness-causing chant "A big pain a little pain/ A small pain a great pain" is from Witchcraft: Its Power in the World Today
Witchcraft: Its Power in the World Today
Witchcraft: Its Power in the World Today is a book by William Buehler Seabrook which was published in 1940. It details the author's views on psychology, parapsychology and the occult, and contains information about the author's meetings with a number of famous people.Throughout his writing career,...
by William Seabrook.