Small Souls

"Small Souls" by Louis Couperus is a turn-of-the-century story about the Van Lowe family, especially Constance’s homecoming after being away for twenty years. The story peers into the themes of family pride, honor, and the tangled webs of relationships within a family. Tension stirs as we learn the Van Lowe family anticipates the return of their estranged sister, Constance. The family members have different ideas about her return which makes Dorine struggle to gather everyone together, as her brother Karel doubts whether his sister should come back into their lives, bringing up past grievances that might reappear. The scene is set with Dorine and Karel, highlighting the family's tightly knit yet complicated dynamics.