# The Supernatural and Rationality in The Circular Staircase

> Theme guide for The Circular Staircase by Mary Roberts Rinehart.

Characters frequently attribute strange events to ghosts or supernatural forces, but the narrative consistently provides rational explanations, emphasizing the power of reason over superstition.

## Where it surfaces

- [III: Mr. John Bailey Appears](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_circular_staircase_se/chapters/iii-mr-john-bailey-appears): Thomas interprets the stopped clock and lamp as omens of death, while Rachel dismisses superstition.
- [XV: Liddy Gives the Alarm](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_circular_staircase_se/chapters/xv-liddy-gives-the-alarm): Liddy's belief in a ghost and the mysterious pounding sounds create tension between superstitious fear and rational investigation.
- [XVI: In the Early Morning](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_circular_staircase_se/chapters/xvi-in-the-early-morning): Liddy's ghost hypothesis and the billiard cue as a possible ghostly weapon contrast with Halsey's rational examination for a secret door.
- [XVIII: A Hole in the Wall](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_circular_staircase_se/chapters/xviii-a-hole-in-the-wall): Liddy believes the hole is ghostly, while Rachel and Jamieson seek rational explanations, highlighting the tension between superstition and logic.
- [XXV: A Visit from Louise](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_circular_staircase_se/chapters/xxv-a-visit-from-louise): Eliza's belief in a 'burning eye' and the mysterious hole contrast with Rachel's attempts to find a natural explanation.
- [XXX: When Churchyards Yawn](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_circular_staircase_se/chapters/xxx-when-churchyards-yawn): The chapter contrasts the eerie, gothic setting of a nighttime churchyard with the rational, investigative purpose of the exhumation.

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_circular_staircase_se/themes/the_supernatural_and_rationality
- Themes index: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_circular_staircase_se/themes