The Altar of the Dead

"The Altar of the Dead" by Henry James, is a story set in the early 1900s that explores how people remember and honor loved ones who have died. The story follows George Stransom, a man dealing with the sadness after his fiancée, Mary Antrim, dies. Stransom creates an altar within a church, lighting candles for those he remembers that have passed away. The act demonstrates Stransom’s need to create a sacred space to remember his dead loved ones. A woman in mourning becomes a quiet companion, and their relationship evolves around themes of love, loss, and remembrance. Stransom eventually confronts his unresolved feelings about the dead and a past friend, deepening the story by looking at devotion and the way that humans need connection when dealing with the topic of death.