Short Fiction · Question
How does Short Fiction develop the theme of Supernatural and the Uncanny?
Answer
Short Fiction by J. Sheridan Le Fanu develops Supernatural and the Uncanny across the chapters the companion marks for this theme.
The book is saturated with ghostly apparitions, haunted houses, and supernatural events, such as the corpse last buried supplying water to purgatory, the spectral figures in Schalken's studio, and the ghost of Judge Harbottle, exploring the thin boundary between the natural and the spirit world.
The ghost of the old squire haunts the castle, breaking bottles and causing mischief, and is confronted by Terry Neil.
The mysterious valet Jacque, with his half-demoniac appearance and Sir Robert's inexplicable submission and death prediction, evoke a supernatural atmosphere.
The dream's prophetic nature and the mysterious circumstances of Connell's death evoke the uncanny and supernatural.
Evidence in the book
- The Ghost and the Bonesetter
The ghost of the old squire haunts the castle, breaking bottles and causing mischief, and is confronted by Terry Neil.
- The Fortunes of Sir Robert Ardagh
The mysterious valet Jacque, with his half-demoniac appearance and Sir Robert's inexplicable submission and death prediction, evoke a supernatural atmosphere.
- The Drunkard's Dream
The dream's prophetic nature and the mysterious circumstances of Connell's death evoke the uncanny and supernatural.
- Strange Event in the Life of Schalken the Painter
The central event is Schalken's supernatural vision of Rose leading him to Vanderhausen's demonic form, blending the real and the spectral.
- The Quare Gander
The gander is revealed to be possessed by the soul of Terence's father, a supernatural occurrence that drives the plot.
- Spalatro
The chapter is steeped in supernatural elements: a demonic ball, ghostly figures, a harlequin apparition, and a cursed mansion.
- The Mysterious Lodger
The lodger's disembodied voice, invisible specter seen by Fanny, and the family's pervasive terror embody the uncanny.
- Ghost Stories of Chapelizod
The narrator asserts that ancient villages inevitably have goblin populations and promises ghost stories tied to Chapelizod.
