George G. Toudouze´ Three Skeleton Key - Literary Analysis

Three lighthouse keepers, Itchoua, LeGleo, and the narrator, must fight for their lives

against hordes of vicious rats, written by George G. Toudouze, Three Skeleton Key is

suspenseful, telling of rats that will make your feet crawl. This literary analysis will

deconstruct the story made popular in early 1950’s.

The Story begins on Three Skeleton Key, where three men, Itchoua, LeGleo, and the

narrator are employed at a lighthouse on a small island called Three Skeleton Key. An

abandoned ship plagued with sea-faring rats slammed into the rocks

of the island. The starving rats began their attack, imprisoning the men inside the

lighthouse. After the rats had gnawed through the frame of the window, the

men had to evacuate to the lantern room –wounded, and without any

supplies. After a few torturous days, the men are rescued and released from

their prison. The rats are incinerated when a barge packed with meat is set

alight, and the rats that try to flee the flame are devoured by the sharks. Ultimately, Itchoua

died to infection due his rats’ bites. LeGleo lost his mind and was placed in a

sanatorium. As for the narrator, he returned to Three Skeleton Key, to continue work.

The three main characters, although not much is said about them, you tend to

guess at their personalities through their actions in the story. The

narrator, was a young man of whom I imagined to be content, rational and

intelligent. For example, in the book he says “…but we liked it there. I was

greatly satisfied with life there on Three Skeleton Key.” He was a dynamic character, he

started as a young man looking for a way to earn enough money to start a family, by the

end of the story he has witnessed true horror, insanity,...

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...as when the lighthouse keepers realized the ship is filled with rats.

In the climax, the rats are invading the lighthouse, and the men flee for safety.

In the falling action, the men wait for help when the rats attempt to get to them.

And finally ends at the resolution. Itchoua dies, LeGleo goes mad, and the

narrator goes back to work.

I felt that the author, George G. Toudouze, while he utilizes literary terms

correctly, I feel as though he should’ve been more descriptive, and possibly

slower in the suspenseful areas. This would cause the reader to become even

more engaged, and create a more vivid picture in the mind of the reader.

I believe that this story, is also a way of saying that you should never give up hope, no matter how

hard things may seem, there’s always a rainbow after the storm. Or in this case, a rescue boat

after every rat attack.