Second Sight and the Supernatural

Where it surfaces

• Dedication

  The dedication explicitly mentions the story is founded on 'The Second Sight,' a supernatural belief.

• The Portent

  The chapter explicitly introduces the theme of second sight as a central element of the narrative.

• My Boyhood

  The narrator's unusual hearing and fear of sounds are linked to the ancestral gift of second sight, suggesting a supernatural inheritance.

• II: The Second Hearing

  The nurse's trance and her reaction to the mysterious sound highlight the supernatural elements and the belief in prophetic visions.

• III: My Old Nurse's Story

  Margaret demonstrates second sight by seeing the phantom horseman and predicting Duncan's future wounding. The legend of the doomed rider and the portent of the broken horseshoe are central to the chapter.

• The Library

  Lady Alice's inexplicable appearance and fearful gaze at the library door hints at supernatural elements.

• VIII: The Somnambulist

  The narrator's inexplicable impulse and the mysterious galloping horse suggest supernatural elements and heightened perception.

• The First Waking

  The recurring sound of the horse with the clanking shoe, which only Duncan and Lady Alice can hear, underscores the supernatural elements of the narrative.

• Confession

  The narrator experiences a waking dream and hears Lady Alice's singing from a distance, suggesting a supernatural connection.

• XV: The Chamber of Ghosts

  The chapter is steeped in supernatural elements: the haunted room, ghostly visions, and the shared hearing of the galloping horse, tied to a family legend.

• Chapter XX: Margaret

  Margaret's trance and vision are central to the chapter, demonstrating her supernatural abilities and the belief in such powers.