What are the common themes in scary short mystery stories?

Answer 1

Often, there's a theme of secrets. In 'The Landlady', the landlady has secrets that the young man slowly uncovers, and this creates the mystery and the scariness. Another theme is the breakdown of reality. In some of these stories, like 'The Tell - Tale Heart', the narrator's perception of reality starts to break down, and this is both a mystery and a source of horror. Deception is also a theme. Characters may be deceiving each other or themselves, which adds to the mystery, as in 'The Lottery' where the townspeople are deceiving the newcomer about the true nature of the lottery.

Answer 2

Well, a frequent theme is the supernatural. In 'Ligeia', the character of Ligeia has an almost otherworldly quality that adds to the mystery and scariness. Isolation is another theme. In 'The Yellow Wallpaper', the woman is isolated in a room, which heightens the sense of mystery and her psychological decline. Guilt is also common. In 'The Black Cat', the narrator's guilt over his actions towards the cat is a driving force in the story, and it adds to the overall mystery and horror as he tries to deal with his conscience.

Answer 3

One common theme is the unknown. For example, in stories like 'The Lottery', the true nature of the lottery is not known until the very end, creating a sense of mystery and fear. Another theme is madness, as seen in 'The Tell - Tale Heart' where the narrator's madness drives the story. Death is also a prevalent theme. In many of these stories, death is either the result of the mystery or a central part of it, like in 'The Monkey's Paw' where the wishes lead to death and misfortune.