The Supernatural In The Nineteen Century
The nineteenth century American short story often contains elements of the supernatural. In the short stories such as “The Fall of the House of Usher” by Edgar Allan Poe, “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow,” by Washington Irving, and Nathaniel Hawthorne’s “Young Goodman Brown” have a similar meaning but with a different plot. The deceptive meaning in most of these stories was meant to leave the reader with a new perspective of their personal lives and society as a whole. Often authors will correlate attributes of a character or things happening in the story to a character; therefore, giving the same eerie feeling of suspense and terror. Since the 1960s, any work of fiction with a morbid, gruesome, surreal, or exceptionally suspenseful or frightening theme has come to be called "horror" for example the short stories “The Fall of the House of Usher” by Edgar Allan Poe, “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” by Washington Irving, and Nathaniel Hawthorne’s “Young Goodman Brown”.
In the short story, “The Fall of The House of Usher,” Edgar Allen Poe chooses the setting as his focus. Poe employed the use of the Gothic Tradition. He used elements such as the supernatural, and traditional gothic settings to create a mood in his story to help the reader become immersed in the story. This tale is one of many that focus on the character’s surroundings to truly emphasize and express the tone the author is trying to portray. “During the whole of a dull, dark, and soundless day in the autumn of the year, when the clouds hung oppressively low in the heavens, I had been passing alone, on horseback through a singularly dreary tract of country” (Poe 1). In fact, the first five paragraphs of "The Fall of the House of Usher" are devoted to creating a gothic atmosphere. An ancient, decaying castle paints an eerie, moldy picture. The surrounding moat seems stagnant and sullen. The time also ties into this mood. It's autumn and the weather is cool and dreary. Poe with the use of words like dark, soundless, and oppressively low sets the theme of the story, giving the readers a glimpse of how dark and suspenseful the story will be; therefor, creating the effects of the supernatural. In this story the narrator is an old friend of Roderick and visits him in his time of grief.
On the night the narrator arrives to the house, Roderick's sister Madeline passes away. Roderick is very disturbed by his sister's death. Roderick begins to go insane after the burial of his sister. Stricken with guilt, he starts to believe that she is still alive. Poe gives the illusion that Roderick is losing his mind. “He stated his intention of preserving her corpse, for a fort-night, (previously to its final interment,) in one of the numerous vaults within the main walls” (Poe 9). With this Poe connects with the readers, not only because people are scared of losing a family member, but because when people lose a love one we refuse to let them go. Lastly there is the metaphor of the actual house. The house, is actually an image of Roderick Usher's mind. Poe’s metaphor is actually that of the beginning of the house's downfall, and the downfall of Roderick Usher himself. Washington Irving’s “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” illustrated by Dave Calver portrays the superstition and story about the Headless Horseman. In this story Irving not only incorporated a love story but managed to create a scene of intimidation. “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” may be a story about an enterprising young man who is vanquished by a spectral figure on a dark autumn night; However, to a enticed reader, the story is more than that. Throughout the story, almost all the observations mad are ironic and tongue-in-cheek. Irving’s story does more than paint a path through the words. Combining the physical surroundings of the 18th century with the element of the readers minds. Irving interpretation works adequately in various parts of the short story but eventually takes on a life of its own by the imagination of the readers. When Ichabod knew that there was going to be a party at the Van Tassel farm, he left everything he was doing just to get ready. “There’s a party at the Van Tassel farm tonight he called to Ichabod. And you’re invited “(Calver 6). The author tries to start the story whit a soft plot, which people could identify themselves with. A school scene with children let’s the readers engage in a sense of harmony.
A sense of self control by one of the protagonist in the short story. Ichabod thought that he was a person of knowledge since he was a teacher at a school. Once more the author sets the scene as a dark place by the woods. By creating this sense of cold darkness, the author introduces the people reading the story to the beginning of the scary part of the plot. “He started his trip home on Gunpowder. But as he rode through the dark night, a strange feeling came over him” (Irving’s 9). The author uses language like dark night, strange feeling, and goosebumps over my body; therefore, people reading can imagine and feel how Ichabod was feeling while on his way home. “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” may be a story about an enterprising young man who is vanquished by a spectral figure on a dark autumn night. However, to a careful reader, the story is more than that. On a figurative level, Washington’s gluttony and greed may reference the growth of American horror story telling; therefor, beliefs must fall beneath the new American way of life. Nathaniel Hawthorne’s story, “Young Goodman Brown” appears to be a story about original sin with a lot of symbolism tied in to it. The tale embodies the conflict between personal freedom and conventionality and explores the often fine line between good and evil. Hawthorne dictates the story of a man battling inner demons and, in many ways, an everyday life. It was a very dark night, but Goodman Brown came to a decision that he must go on this passage but promises to return as soon as possible. “He had taken a dreary road, darkened by all the gloomiest trees of the forest, which barely stood aside to let the narrow path creep through, and closed immediately behind” (Hawthorne 8).
Hawthorne tries to create a scene of darkness. Using words like gloomiest trees, dreary road and narrow path. By using this word, he guides the people reading the story through the same narrow path that has the gloomiest trees, to give the people reading a more sense of horror and suspense. Hawthorn again makes people reading the story think when he introduces the “staff”. “Come, Goodman Brown! Cried his fellow traveler, this is a dull pace for the beginning of a journey. Take my staff, if you are so soon weary” (Hawthorn 2). The staff could have many symbolisms. For some it could mean choosing from right and wrong, for others it could symbolize religious beliefs, such as temptation by the devil. Hawthorns way of writing in double meaning captures the minds of many readers throughout his short stories. Modern critics have interpreted “Young Goodman Brown” in many ways. The story as a critique of society stands out to some. To psychologically inclined readers, Brown journeys into the psyche. The village represents the superego, whereas the forest and darkness become equivalents to the fact that people must choose between good and evil. The entire story becomes a portrait of one human mind that discovers the usually suppressed and disquieting reality of life.
In conclusion this three extraordinary writers have one unique thing in common. The three authors paint the path to a great horrifying story by first creating a sense of darkness. By doing so they keep the audience interested on the story trying to figure out what is going to happen next. The supernatural is such a popular theme in this time, because now at days readers want to feel that adrenaline of mystery and suspense. This type of stories translates great to the modern readers because with the internet available everywhere around the world, more videos of ghost and the supernatural are being posted on the web. Hollywood plays a big factor on creating a craving for the supernatural with all the movies that they come up with. In the 21st century we have In Hollywood we have movies like “The Paranormal Activity,” “Halloween,” and “Friday the Thirteen. ” Since the 1960s, any work of fiction with a morbid, gruesome, surreal, or exceptionally suspenseful or frightening theme has come to be called "horror" for example the short stories “The Fall of the House of Usher” by Edgar Allan Poe, “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” by Washington Irving, and Nathaniel Hawthorne’s “Young Goodman Brown”. Readers along with movie watchers will keep the theme of the supernatural alive because of the suspense and the thrill of the unknown.
