This presentation showcase the presenter's interpretations and assumptions that made with the help of ChatGPT. It might be helpful for the students of Bachelor's especially first year.

1. Prepared by Divya Sheta.
Lecturer at Samaldas Arts College,Bhavnagar.

2. About the author
Characters and
Brief Summary of the
story
themes
01 02
03 Important quotes
04

3. About the
author
01

4. ● Émile Gaboriau, (born November 9, 1832/33/35, Saujon, France—died c. October 1,
1873, Paris), French novelist who is best known as the father of the roman policier
(detective novel). He has been described as the Edgar Allan Poe of France.
● Gaboriau’s prolific imagination and acute observation generated 21 novels
(originally published in serial form) in 13 years. He made his reputation with the
publication in 1866 of L’Affaire Lerouge (The Widow Lerouge) after having published
several other books and miscellaneous writings. His later books, many of them
classics of their kind, include Le Crime d’Orcival (1867; The Mystery of Orcival),
Monsieur Lecoq (1868), Les Esclaves de Paris (1868; The Slaves of Paris), La Vie
infernale (1870; The Count’s Millions), and L’Argent des autres (1874; Other People’s
Money).
● Gaboriau created the fictional détectives Père Tabaret and Monsieur Lecoq; the
latter was a fictional precursor of Sherlock Holmes.

5. Characters
and Brief
Summary
02

6. Characters
● The Victome the B - protagonist, later owner of the house.
● Victome’s uncle - victome’s uncle. After his death, the he became the
owner of the house
● Pierr Bernard/ Monsieur(Mr) Bernard - concierge/caretaker of the
building
● Madam (Mrs)Bernard - Monsieur Bernard’s wife
● Amanda Bernard / Mademoiselle (Miss) Bernard -Monsieur Bernard’s
daughter
● Tenants - some of Russian and some of Prussian and others as well

7. ● The story set around the house in Rue de la Victoire street. The protagonist
of the story is The Vicomte de B. The story starts with the introduction of
Vicomte. Earlier he was enjoying his income around 30,000 livers, yearly.
However, unfortunate for him, his uncle who was the owner of the house,
was died. He discovered that the unfurnished building, purchased for
300,000 francs in 1849, generates a rental income of 82,000 francs annually.
He aims to lower the rents immediately, believing it will lead to gratitude from his
tenants.
● Then he decided and summons the building's concierge, Bernard,
instructing him to notify all the tenants about the rent reduction by one-third.
Bernard, shocked and assuming a misunderstanding, attempts to persuade
the vicomte that he must mean raising rents instead.

8. ● Now the story focused on Bernard’s thoughts and reactions towards the decision made by
his proprietor. However, the vicomte remains resolute, insisting on lowering the rents.
Bernard, unable to comprehend such an unprecedented order, tries to dissuade the
vicomte, fearing the repercussions in the neighborhood and among the lodgers. Despite
Bernard's protests, the vicomte asserts his authority, demanding obedience, leaving
Bernard in a stunned and unsteady state as he exits the building.
● Bernard, feeling as though he's in a surreal nightmare, is emotionally shaken and unsure
of the situation's reality. His family, upon seeing his distress, thinks the new proprietor
might be considering evicting them, but upon learning the truth, they find the idea of
lowered rents absurd and burst into laughter. Bernard's insistence on the truth leads to a
quarrel him and his wife. Despite their disbelief, they verify the order directly from the vicomte and,
after careful between consideration, reluctantly decide to comply, debating whether to alert someone
more sensible about the vicomte's decision. Eventually, they choose to follow the vicomte's
orders, though with great uncertainty and disbelief.

9. ● The tenants, initially thinking it's a joke, eventually confirm the lowered
rents through the vicomte himself and a written note. Despite this, doubts
persist among some tenants, triggering speculations and suspicions about
the vicomte's motive. This uncertainty leads to fear and paranoia among the
tenants, leading them to believe that something sinister or inexplicable is
happening in the house. Various theories arise, ranging from criminal activities to
supernatural occurrences, causing mass panic and a rush of tenants vacating the
premises, fearing an impending catastrophe.
● Despite Bernard's efforts to rent the now-vacant apartments, potential
tenants are scared off by the strange circumstances. Eventually, even
Bernard, overwhelmed by fear and eerie experiences, surrenders his keys
and flees the house, marking the complete abandonment of the property.

10. ● "The Accursed House" by Emile Gaboriau concludes with a haunting and
critical reflection on societal perceptions and judgments. The tale exposes
the folly and superficiality ingrained in the societal mindset. The narrator's
poignant remark, "Lower one's rents!! Who would think of such a thing!!!"
highlights the absurdity of people's reactions and their limited
understanding.
● The narrative serves as a sharp critique, showcasing how society often reacts
with fear and suspicion to change or unfamiliarity. The Vicomte de B_____
attempts a gesture of generosity by lowering rents, yet the reaction from the
tenants is one of disbelief, suspicion, and paranoia. Instead of recognizing
this act of kindness, they attribute sinister motives or bizarre explanations
to the vicomte's action.

11. Themes
03

12. Hard Points
● Societal Paranoia and Misinterpretations
● Consequences of Shallow Judgments
● Perception vs. Reality in Society
● Fallacies of Collective Belief
● Fearful Reactions to Unconventional Acts
● Critical Thinking Amidst Hasty Conclusions
● Deterioration of Reputation through Misunderstandings
● The Ripple Effects of Prejudiced Mentalities
● Social Stigma and Its Reverberations
● The Absurdity of Misguided Assumptions
NOTE: These points are Generatedby ChatGPT

13. Easy points
● When People Jump to Conclusions
● How Rumors Ruin Things
● Seeing Isn't Always Believing
● Why We Fear What We Don't Understand
● The Trouble with Quick Judgments
● When Everyone Gets It Wrong
● How Gossip Hurts Everyone
● Believing Without Thinking
● The Power of Misguided Ideas
● Why Being Open-Minded Matters
NOTE: These points are Generated by ChatGPT

14. Important
quotes
04

15. "I was never more serious in my life, my friend," the vicomte returned; "I said, and
I repeat it, lower the rents." - Victome
"Lower!" repeated they; "ah! what a good joke, what a droll man! Lower the tenants'
rents." - Bernard
"There is something under all this!" - Tenets . Repeated twice in the text.
"What motives," said they all, "actuate this strange man? For certainly he must
have grave reasons for a step like this! An intelligent man, a man of good sense,
would never deprive himself of good fat revenues, well secured, for the simple
pleasure of depriving himself. One would not conduct himself thus without being
forced, constrained by powerful or terrible circumstances." - Tenants
Thank You!