Edward Pickman Derby, the protagonist of “The Thing on the Doorstep”, is a poet and husband of Asenath Waite. He is described by H. P. Lovecraft as “the most phenomenal child scholar I have ever known, and at seven was writing verse of a sombre, fantastic, almost morbid cast which astonished the tutors surrounding him… Young Derby’s odd genius developed remarkably, and in his eighteenth year his collected nightmare-lyrics made a real sensation when issued under the title Azathoth and Other Horrors.” Daniel Upton, the story’s narrator, explains that he has killed his best friend, Edward Derby, and that he hopes his account will prove that he is not a murderer. He begins by describing Derby’s life and career. Derby had been interested in the occult even as a very young boy, which led to him befriending Upton. Upton then tells of Asenath Waite, a female classmate of Derby’s at Miskatonic University. Edward and Asenath soon wed. Despite his qualms Derby moves into the old Crowninshield House, with three servants from Innsmouth. People start to notice odd changes in Derby’s abilities. Sometimes he drives off by himself, even though he has never been taught to drive. Derby confides in Upton, telling him strange stories about Asenath. One night he comes to Upton’s door in a panic and proclaims how he will never let her do a certain thing to him again. Derby tries to hint at how he believes that Asenath’s late father, Ephraim Waite, may not actually be dead. In the midst of this story he abruptly stops, as if some hypnotic spell has come over him. Upton is later called to pick up Derby, who has been found in Chesuncook, Maine, rambling incoherently. Derby tells of Asenath using his body, and is certain that it is in fact Ephraim Waite who resides in the body of Asenath. Before finishing his story, Derby has a small seizure and rapidly changes personality, asking Upton to ignore what he might have just said. However, Upton sees a change in his eyes; he thinks they look like Asenath’s eyes, then that they look perhaps more like Ephraim’s eyes. A few months later, Derby shows up at Upton’s door and says he has found a way to keep Asenath away and to stop her from using his body, implying some sort of spell or ritual. Derby finishes renovations on his old family home yet seems strangely reluctant to leave the Crowninshield House. Upton receives another visit from Derby, who begins raving about his wife and father-in-law and how he can still feel her, him, it, clawing at his mind while he sleeps, trying to get hold of him. Upton gets Derby to sleep, but then has him taken to a sanitarium in Arkham. The sanitarium calls Upton to tell him that Derby’s “reason has suddenly come back,” though upon visiting Upton can see it is not the true personality of Derby, but the person he had encountered on the ride home. Upton is roused from his sleep by a knocking at his door, to find a dwarfed, humped messenger concealed under Derby’s large coat, carrying a letter from Derby. The letter explains that Derby has in fact killed Asenath and buried her body in their cellar. But he should have realized that Asenath’s (possibly Ephraim’s) soul is partially detached from her body, and that the soul will live on until the body is cremated. Asenath had succeeded in taking control of his body while he was in the sanitarium, which means that “the thing on the doorstep” is actually Derby inhabiting Asenath’s putrefying corpse. The note implores Upton to go to the sanitarium to kill Derby, who has now been permanently possessed by Ephraim’s soul the way he imagines the original Asenath once was. Upton does so, though he reveals that he is afraid of having his soul transferred as well.
Description Edward Pickman Derby, the protagonist of “The Thing on the Doorstep”, is a poet and husband of Asenath Waite. He is described by H. P. Lovecraft as “the most phenomenal child scholar I have ever known, and at seven was writing verse of a sombre, fantastic, almost morbid cast which astonished the tutors surrounding him… Young Derby’s odd genius developed remarkably, and in his eighteenth year his collected nightmare-lyrics made a real sensation when issued under the title Azathoth and Other Horrors.” Daniel Upton, the story’s narrator, explains that he has killed his best friend, Edward Derby, and that he hopes his account will prove that he is not a murderer. He begins by describing Derby’s life and career. Derby had been interested in the occult even as a very young boy, which led to him befriending Upton. Upton then tells of Asenath Waite, a female classmate of Derby’s at Miskatonic University. Edward and Asenath soon wed. Despite his qualms Derby moves into the old Crowninshield House, with three servants from Innsmouth. People start to notice odd changes in Derby’s abilities. Sometimes he drives off by himself, even though he has never been taught to drive. Derby confides in Upton, telling him strange stories about Asenath. One night he comes to Upton’s door in a panic and proclaims how he will never let her do a certain thing to him again. Derby tries to hint at how he believes that Asenath’s late father, Ephraim Waite, may not actually be dead. In the midst of this story he abruptly stops, as if some hypnotic spell has come over him. Upton is later called to pick up Derby, who has been found in Chesuncook, Maine, rambling incoherently. Derby tells of Asenath using his body, and is certain that it is in fact Ephraim Waite who resides in the body of Asenath. Before finishing his story, Derby has a small seizure and rapidly changes personality, asking Upton to ignore what he might have just said. However, Upton sees a change in his eyes; he thinks they look like Asenath’s eyes, then that they look perhaps more like Ephraim’s eyes. A few months later, Derby shows up at Upton’s door and says he has found a way to keep Asenath away and to stop her from using his body, implying some sort of spell or ritual. Derby finishes renovations on his old family home yet seems strangely reluctant to leave the Crowninshield House. Upton receives another visit from Derby, who begins raving about his wife and father-in-law and how he can still feel her, him, it, clawing at his mind while he sleeps, trying to get hold of him. Upton gets Derby to sleep, but then has him taken to a sanitarium in Arkham. The sanitarium calls Upton to tell him that Derby’s “reason has suddenly come back,” though upon visiting Upton can see it is not the true personality of Derby, but the person he had encountered on the ride home. Upton is roused from his sleep by a knocking at his door, to find a dwarfed, humped messenger concealed under Derby’s large coat, carrying a letter from Derby. The letter explains that Derby has in fact killed Asenath and buried her body in their cellar. But he should have realized that Asenath’s (possibly Ephraim’s) soul is partially detached from her body, and that the soul will live on until the body is cremated. Asenath had succeeded in taking control of his body while he was in the sanitarium, which means that “the thing on the doorstep” is actually Derby inhabiting Asenath’s putrefying corpse. The note implores Upton to go to the sanitarium to kill Derby, who has now been permanently possessed by Ephraim’s soul the way he imagines the original Asenath once was. Upton does so, though he reveals that he is afraid of having his soul transferred as well.
