Here is a summary of the key themes in Edgar Allan Poe's short story "The Oval Portrait":
- Obsession and possession in art and relationships. The artist becomes obsessed with perfectly capturing his subject, the young woman, in his portrait. This obsession leads him to neglect her basic needs and she dies.
- The inability to truly capture life through art. No matter how realistic the portrait seems, it is just a representation and the subject's life cannot be preserved. The story suggests art can mimic but not replace real life.
- The dangers of pride and ego in creative works. The artist is so focused on the technical perfection of his work that he fails to see the human costs, namely the deterioration of the