▁trag ic ▁consequences . ▁ ▁Syn opsis ▁ ▁The ▁story ▁is ▁told ▁as ▁a ▁third - person ▁narr ative ▁that ▁begins ▁with ▁the ▁birth ▁of ▁Benjamin ▁(' Ben ja ') ▁St . ▁John , ▁the ▁delivery ▁of ▁whom ▁results ▁in ▁the ▁death ▁of ▁his ▁mother . ▁Despite ▁assert ions ▁that ▁he ▁will ▁never ▁rem ar ry , ▁her ▁husband ▁George ▁Car leton ▁St . ▁John ▁takes ▁a ▁new ▁wife , ▁Charlotte ▁Nor ris . ▁George ▁dies ▁shortly ▁afterwards ▁of ▁an ▁inherited , ▁constitution al ▁weak ness ▁(' the ▁Al n wick ▁cur se '), ▁after ▁which ▁Ben ja ▁and ▁their ▁son , ▁George ▁(' Ge org y '), ▁are ▁left ▁to ▁the ▁care ▁of ▁Charlotte . ▁Prom pt ed ▁by ▁concerns ▁that ▁Charlotte ' s ▁env y ▁of ▁Ben ja ▁( who ▁will ▁inherit ▁Al n wick ▁in ▁place ▁of ▁her ▁son ) ▁might ▁lead ▁her ▁to ▁harm ▁him , ▁his ▁relative ▁Isaac ▁St . ▁John ▁is ▁left ▁as ▁a ▁guard ian ▁to ▁the ▁child ▁by ▁a ▁provision ▁of ▁the ▁will . ▁Later , ▁Ben ja ' s ▁nur se , ▁Hon our ▁T rit ton , ▁grows ▁increasing ly ▁al ar med ▁by ▁Charlotte ' s ▁violent ▁behaviour ▁towards ▁the ▁child . ▁In ▁an ▁attempt ▁to ▁so othe ▁Ben ja , ▁she ▁builds ▁him ▁a ▁to y ▁made ▁of ▁paper ▁and ▁cand les ; ▁left ▁alone ▁with ▁the ▁to y , ▁and ▁after ▁the ▁doors ▁to ▁the ▁room ▁are ▁seem ingly ▁locked , ▁the ▁child ▁is ▁burn ed ▁to ▁death . ▁Event