Many readers find this short horror story by Richard Matheson incredibly moving. One of its major themes is Beauty vs. Ugliness. The protagonist is an eight-year-old child who has been locked in a basement for most of its life because of his/her monstrous form and size. The child does not appear to be possessed by an evil or supernatural force. The child is inquisitive about the outside world, but is cruelly beaten every time he/she ventures upstairs. The horror aspect comes from the cruelty the child suffers and the threat of impending violence if it continues.
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