‘Are we good or are we bad?’ How do we deal with these contradictions?''
The book tries to answer the question that haunts our minds and hearts whenever we are in distress or sufferings, are we good or are we bad ? the story capers around a small remote village. The families live like one big family. There is love and peace till the Devil arives. The stranger or the devil proposes to offer the villagers bars of gold only if they can kill one of them within a week. The message is sent to the village through an orphan miss prym. Its the transition in thoughts of villagers. Its the Devil taking over the good. An old widow ( Bertha ) is chosen to be killed because she is old, an has no family.The most interesting and important characters in the story are the Stranger, Miss Prym and the old widow Bertha. The Stranger was once a noble man with a normal family. Something that happened in his life has changed him to Devil so powerful.The book is deep in meaning; It teaches one to believe in nature.It also makes man responsible for all the actions happening around him. It makes one realise, most of what is already known, but never realised. Its the age old fight between Good and Evil beautifuly potrayed with refernces to Bible and religion including the Last Supper.