# Supernatural and the Uncanny in Doctor Syn

> Theme guide for Doctor Syn by Russell Thorndike.

Elements of horror and the supernatural pervade the story, including the mulatto's ghostly nature, the Cuban priest's post-mortem revenge, and the demon riders of the Marsh, blurring the line between reality and legend.

## Where it surfaces

- [A Bottle of Alsace Lorraine](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/doctor_syn_se/chapters/v-a-bottle-of-alsace-lorraine): The mute, earless mulatto cook with a cut-out tongue and his eerie, spider-like search of the room evoke a sense of the uncanny.
- [Doctor Syn Takes Cold](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/doctor_syn_se/chapters/vi-doctor-syn-takes-cold): The squire discusses local beliefs in Marsh witches and ghosts, while Doctor Syn's unexplained reaction to the mulatto sailor introduces an eerie, uncanny element.
- [VII: Clegg the Buccaneer](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/doctor_syn_se/chapters/vii-clegg-the-buccaneer): Sennacherib Pepper's tales of fiery steeds and witches, and the mulatto's uncanny tracking abilities, evoke the supernatural.
- [Dogging the Schoolmaster](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/doctor_syn_se/chapters/viii-dogging-the-schoolmaster): Jerry's dream of demon riders merges with reality as ghostly horsemen appear, and a yellow-faced intruder steals a harpoon, blurring the line between nightmare and waking.
- [IX: The End of Sennacherib Pepper](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/doctor_syn_se/chapters/ix-the-end-of-sennacherib-pepper): The ghostly horsemen visible only to Pepper, and Rash's denial, create a supernatural tension that underscores the murder.
- [XII: The Captain Objects](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/doctor_syn_se/chapters/xii-the-captain-objects): Captain Collyer's threats against 'demon riders' and 'Marsh devils' invoke the supernatural lore surrounding Romney Marsh, blending folk belief with criminal investigation.
- [XIV: At the Vicarage](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/doctor_syn_se/chapters/xiv-at-the-vicarage): The shuttered, candlelit dining room and Doctor Syn's eerie song about dead men create an uncanny atmosphere.
- [XVII: The Doctor Sings a Song](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/doctor_syn_se/chapters/xvii-the-doctor-sings-a-song): The gibbering moans, the harpoon hole, and the Doctor's demented stare create an atmosphere of the uncanny.
- [Behind the Shutters](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/doctor_syn_se/chapters/xviii-behind-the-shutters): The captain's sense of unreality and dreamlike confusion, along with Syn's unnerving composure, evokes an uncanny atmosphere.
- [The Captain's Nightmare](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/doctor_syn_se/chapters/xix-the-captain-s-nightmare): The captain's drugged nightmare blurs reality and dream, featuring a ghostly figure on a reef and a brutal murder, creating an eerie, uncanny atmosphere.
- [XX: A Terrible Investigation](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/doctor_syn_se/chapters/xx-a-terrible-investigation): The chapter is steeped in an uncanny atmosphere: mysterious moans, bound sailors, a dead body pierced by an invisible weapon, and reports of 'light-faces' removing Mr. Rash. Mipps's inexplicable giggling adds to the sense of dread.
- [XXI: The Bo'sun's Story](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/doctor_syn_se/chapters/xxi-the-bo-sun-s-story): The bo'sun and Morgan Walters describe figures with glowing faces and demonic riders, blurring the line between reality and nightmare.
- [A Curious Breakfast Party](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/doctor_syn_se/chapters/xxii-a-curious-breakfast-party): The captain's story of a dead priest committing murder and a marooned sailor pursuing his killer in a corpse introduces a supernatural dimension to the Marsh's mysteries.
- [The Coffin-Maker Has a Visitor](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/doctor_syn_se/chapters/xxiv-the-coffin-maker-has-a-visitor): Mipps's story of being trapped in a coffin and his matter-of-fact discussion of near-death experiences evoke an uncanny, macabre atmosphere.
- [XXVI: The Devil’s Tiring House](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/doctor_syn_se/chapters/xxvi-the-devil-s-tiring-house): The demon riders, marsh witches, and glowing faces create an eerie, supernatural atmosphere, with the scarecrow revealed as a living participant.
- [The Scarecrow's Legion](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/doctor_syn_se/chapters/xxvii-the-scarecrow-s-legion): The Scarecrow's ghostly appearance and the use of mist and lanterns to create supernatural terror among locals.
- [The Fight at Mill House Farm](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/doctor_syn_se/chapters/xxviii-the-fight-at-mill-house-farm): The smugglers employ eerie tactics, such as the Scarecrow's demonic appearance, Hellspite's wailing song, and the repeated curlew cry, creating an atmosphere of uncanny intimidation.
- [A Certain Tree Bears Fruit](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/doctor_syn_se/chapters/xxxi-a-certain-tree-bears-fruit): Imogene's premonition of death and the eerie atmosphere of the mist-shrouded marsh evoke the uncanny.
- [The Captain's Experiment](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/doctor_syn_se/chapters/xxxii-the-captain-s-experiment): The squire's uncanny feeling upon witnessing Syn's self-inflicted burn and the tattoo of a man walking the plank evoke a sense of the supernatural.
- [The Dead Man's Throttle](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/doctor_syn_se/chapters/xxxvii-the-dead-man-s-throttle): The drunken terror of Clegg's voice, the harpoon attack, and the 'shadow' from hell evoke the uncanny.
- [Echoes](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/doctor_syn_se/chapters/xxxix-echoes): Mipps delights the yellow priests with horrific tales of demons and ghosts from Romney Marsh, and the priests themselves fear to visit England because of these stories.

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/doctor_syn_se/themes/supernatural_and_the_uncanny
- Themes index: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/doctor_syn_se/themes