Jane K. Marshall
The second section of this unit is composed of two parts. Initially, short, oral ghost stories are considered. A transition is then made from oral works to a published ghost story. It is my hope that students will recognize folk story motifs in the published work, and that this recognition will enable them to begin to respond to a more complex piece of writing. Section II, in essence, seeks to prepare students for a truly sophisticated reading/thinking experience. (Part III
The Turn of the Screw
.)
An examination of the short ghost stories of the British oral tradition demands consideration of recurrent motifs. These motifs seem to reflect the fears, thoughts, and attitudes of those who told and heard these stories. For that matter, such motifs, dealing as they do in areas of taboo, have always and most probably will always continue to exert their influence on literature. Why has
Hamlet
endured? Isn’t it probable that its underlying terror, the unnatural act of familial murder, enables the audience to look obliquely at what is most terrifying? Perhaps such a glimpse enables us to cope more adequately with the known and unknown horrors of our world.
Students should be encouraged to voice the motifs of the short stories provided here. “What societal problems are raised in these stories?” is certainly an appropriate question to ask students. “Why are they raised?” gets closer to the point. Students will probably not wish to dwell on such a question but will quickly note that justice plays a strong role in both stories. Thus even the smallest of stories has purpose, meaning, and a reactive quality.
I have provided the teacher with summaries of two short ghost stories below, but strongly suggest that the original stories be used in the classroom.