Ghosts in english literature and dracula by bram stoker

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PART I: INTRODUCTION
1. Reasons for Choosing the Study
Firstly, when a child, I was very interested in horror stories, especially
ghost stories although after having heard of them, I did not dare to go to sleep,
even closed my eyes.
Growing a little, I not only heard but also read ghost stories. I was
satisfied with ghost stories in literature. Those stories satisfied my curiosity.
And now, I am a student. The hobby of ghost stories in English
literature intrigues me a lot. I like ghost stories, therefore, I have chosen ghost
topic for my thesis paper.
Secondly, ghost is a very interesting, special topic. It is interesting
because it is mysterious and controversial. It is special because although
people are frightened when hearing it, they still like to hear. This makes ghost
topic different from the others. This is also the reasons why many works
having ghost topic in literature, especially in English literature have been
created. And many of them are masterpieces.
Thirdly, this subject is new. Is it contradictory when saying that while
above, I say ghost to be a topical of all the time? I can say, it is not, surely.
Everyone is interested in ghost stories, however, each stories is always new to
readers. My thesis may be new to the readers, too.
Fourthly, this subject is helpful. People often think that ghost is the
"child" of superstition. However, when being studied as a literary
phenomenon , it will help people realized its great value of education.
"Dracula" is the best representative for that.
There are many reasons for choosing the study but the above reasons
are the main ones that encourage me to choose the thesis: "Ghosts in English
literature and "Dracula" by Bram Stoker.

2. The Aims of the Study
- Helps readers have a general view about a topical subject in literature: ghosts.
- Analyzes some basic types of ghosts in literature.
- Finds our the reasons for English writers to choose ghosts as a literary
topical subject in general and of Bram Stoker in "Dracula" in special.
3. The Scope of the Study

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Ghost is a very general definition. However, on the viewpoint of
English literature, being awake of the ability and time limits, I only focus on
the meaning "spirit of the dead" and analyze a representative of ghost
stories-"Dracula" by Bram Stoker as an example to see the driving purposes of
the writer behind the well-known novel.
4. The Methods of the Study
In order to carry out this thesis, we have used the following methods:
- Synthetic method
- Cencus method
5. The Format of the Study
A part from acknowledgements, table of contents, reference, and
appendix, the thesis consists of three main parts:
Part I: Introduction
This part presents the reasons for choosing the study, the aims, the

limitation, the methods and the scope of the study.
Part II: Development
In this part, three chapters will be developed:
Chapter 1: Conceptions about ghosts
Chapter 2: Types of ghosts in literature
Chapter 3: The fight between the Good and the Bad in "Dracula" by
Bram Stoker
Part III: Conclusion

PART II: DEVELOPMENT
CHAPTER 1: CONCEPTIONS ABOUT GHOSTS
1.1. Definitions of "ghost"

It cannot be proved that ghosts exist physically in our real life or not,
however, everyone has their own ways to imagine the answers for questions as
"What is a ghost ?" and "How does it look like?". When talking about ghosts,
people imagine immediately in their minds the spirits of the dead which
because of some earthly businesses cannot be free. And to children, ghosts
appear as moving creature with long hair, red lips and long fingernails or
something like that.
There are also many definitions of ghost by famous people or many in
different dictionaries of all languages in the world. However, the most general

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definition is in the American Heritage @ Dictionary of English language,
fourth edition.
According to this dictionary:
Ghost is defined as:
1.1.1. (Noun)
1.1.1.1. The spirit of a dead person, especially one believed to appear in
bodily likenness to living person or to haunt former habitants
1.1.1.2. The center of spiritual life
1.1.1.3. A demon or spirit
1.1.1.4. A returning or haunting memory or image
a) A slight of faint trace : just an ghosts of a smile
b) The tiniest bit: not a ghost of a chance
1.1.1.5. A faint , false image as:
a) A secondary image on a television or radar screen caused by
reflected waves
b) A displaced image in a photograph cause by the optical system
of the camera
c) A false spectral line caused by impections in the diffraction
grating
d) A displaced image in a mirror caused by reflection from the
front of the class
1.1.1.6. (Informal) A ghost-writer: person who writes on behalf of the
credited author.
1.1.1.7.
a) A nonexistent publication listed in bibliographies
b) Amfictitious employee or business
1.1.1.8. (Physiology) A red blood cell howing no hemoglobin
1.1.2 (Verb) ghosted - ghosting - ghosts

1.1.2.1. (v.intr)
a) (Informal) to engage in ghostwriting
b) To move noiselessly like a ghost
"two young deer ghosted out of the woods"
(Nancy M.Debevoise - website: www.googlealert.com)

1.1.2.2. (v.tr)

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a) To haunt
b) (Informal) To ghostwrite: was hired to ghost the memoir of a
famous executive
1.1.3. (Adverb) Ghostly
Of all the meanings of ghost above, only the first one as a noun is studied
in this thesis.
1.2. Do ghosts exist on the Earth ?

When thinking the existence of ghosts, we consider two aspects: physical
and spiritual existence.
The answers to the question are different according to items of science,
of ordinary life, and of literature.
1.2.1. In Science:

Modern science has taught us that nothing happens without a cause even
though we may not be able to discover what that cause is. No leaf falls to the
ground, no wind blows, no flower opens without an explanation. To the
existence of ghosts, scientists also have their own explanation. They do not
think ghosts exist both physically and spiritually. They think ghosts are only
the "children" of the superstition which is derived from Ignorance and Fear.
At the same time, they determine that as our knowledge grows and our
wisdom ripens, all superstition vanishes as a bad dream when we awake.
1.2.2. In Ordinary Life:
Although scientists have been trying to prove that there are no ghosts in
our world, people still believe in its existence in life.
Some believe that ghosts exist physically in our world. These are people
who say they saw ghosts once or twice or even they have never seen ghosts,
they was told by their friends or their relatives who had seen. This group of
people is only the minority. People who believe in physical existence of ghost
usually also believe in its spiritual existence.
The majority belongs to group of people who believe that ghosts exist
spiritually in our world. This can be people who have never once seen ghosts
but still believe in their existence in the real world. They think no one can
really die forever. They believe in an afterlife. Death means the souls leave
the bodies and go to Heaven or Hell or another world. However, the souls of

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the dead still be with the living to protect the living. For example, in religion,
the Christians believe absolutely in God, the Buddists in Buddha. And all of us
know that both God (Jerusalem) and Buddha are spirits of the dead whose
dedication and the ways of living have affected their following generations
very much. Believers think these spirits are always together with them in all
aspects of life. Therefore, whenever having difficulty in life, believers go to
God and Buddha to ask for a grant. After praying, they feel released and easy
to overcome the difficulty as if God or Buddha have granted them.
Most of people think that the dead rejoin them in many daily activities
such as eating, drinking, and having fun. To these people, ghosts are not lost
to the living. The belief that ghosts exist spiritually and physically is reflected
in some ghostly festivals.
Halloween on October 31 is really a ghost festival. It was originally an
ancient Celtic ritual in which the souls of the dead were believed to revisit
their homes, and fires were lit to drive away evil spirits, hobgoblins, and
demons. Under Christianity it was known as All Saints' Day, or Hollowed
Evening (Which became Halloween). Today, children celebrate by making
spooky pumpkins. They wear frightening masks and knock on the doors
demanding "Trick or Treat ".
The Japanese Feast of Lantern (July 13 -15) is also a ghost festival.
People offer food to their dead relatives and tea is poured for the invisible
guests every hour. At night, homes are decorated with beautiful lanterns
fringed with paper streamers. Virtually Japanese people believe in ghosts, and
care for their dead relatives at the special time as if they were alive.

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(From: "Ghosts and the Supernatural" by Colin Wilson)
Beside people who believe in ghost's existence, there are many people
who do not believe in. These usually never see ghosts, even if they saw once,
they think that results from the fact that they read, or were told many ghost
stories, therefore their minds were obsessed. These people still take part in
many activities for the dead such as celebrating ghostly festivals, etc.
However, they do these things only to prove that they love, and always
remember the dead.
The question whether ghosts exist physically, or spiritually, or both, or
not in the real world is, therefore, difficult to answer. It have been very
controversial. However, no matter the answer is, it is not important. To the
living, if there exist ghosts, it is ok. If there do not exist ghosts, it is good.
They always try to live better, and consider ghosts judge in their hearts.
Especially, it is ghost topic that human beings enjoy many interesting ghost
stories all over the world.

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1.2.3. In Literature:
Regardless of whether people believe in ghost existence or not, ghosts
have continually been created. Ghost topic has been a very popular topic in
literature. More and more people want to read ghost stories even though they
are very frightened. In literature, the question: "Do ghosts exist in the real
life?" is very controversial.
Just like scientists, in literature, there are many people who do not
believe in both physical and spiritual existence of ghosts: "Believe me, there
are no ghosts in the world- not even in very old Bristish families" (Oscar
Wilde 18:1) or some laugh scornfully at the idea of ghost existence :
Ghosts! People imagine they see ghosts on a dark night! You cannot make me
believe in ghosts! It is a question of fact! There are no ghosts!
(John Escott 12:33)

or some people explain that:
Everybody says they see the Opera ghost. But there is not really a ghost. You saw a
shadow on the wall.
(Jenifer Scott 18:2)

Contrary to that idea, some people believe absolutely in ghosts both
physically and spiritually:
I am afraid there really is a ghost. It 's been famous for centuries - since 1584. It
always appears before the death of a member of our family.
(Oscar Wilde 18:1).

Or according to some people in "The Ghost of Genny Castle" by John
Escott: “People have seen ghosts”.
Or in "The Phantom of the Opera":
"It is the ghost! In the passage. I saw him. He came through the wall in front of me!
And ...and I saw his face".

(Jenifer Bassett 18:1)

The question whether ghosts exist physically, or spiritually, or both, or
not in the real world is difficult to answer. It is very controversial. As the time
beings, in literature, people accept an open conclusion:
In some ways you are all wrong, and in some way you are all right. There are ghosts,
and there are not, well, that is what people say.
(John Escott 12:34).

Not only the belief about ghost existence but also all types of ghosts such
as phantom, apparition, spirit, vampire, monster, poltergeist...have been
reflected in literature. Many literary works that have been famous for ghost

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image like "Voodoo Island" by Michael Duckworld, "Dracula" by Bram
Stoker, "The Phantom of the Opera" by Jenifer Bassett, etc. These will be
studied more in CHAPTER 2 and CHAPTER 3.
Both in ordinary life and in literature, people who believe in existence of
ghosts, also believe that ghosts have emotional feelings. According to them,
just like every people, ghosts are just like us with all the emotional baggage
that goes with life on the afterlife. That means ghosts also hate, love, feel shy,
or feel ashamed, etc like us - the living. Owing to this criterion, it is easier for

people to classify types of ghosts in CHAPTER 2.
1.3. Why Cannot Everyone See Ghosts ?

Some people believe absolutely in ghosts because they say they saw
ghosts or their friends or their relatives did. However, most of people have
never seen ghosts. Why cannot everyone see ghosts?
Let us first start off by saying that everyone has the potential to see a
ghost. But the fact is that only some people see ghosts physically. These
people can be able to turn it more often to see the spirits and see, hear, etc the
signal and energy the spirit is sending. We call these people sensitive or
psychics. Surely, there are varying conditions that may interfere with the
spirits of the dead.
Firstly, it is clear that sensitive people see ghosts more often than others.
Secondly, it is often happen that you see the spirits of your dead
relatives than those of others that you do not know. Therefore, some of things
that can make our ability to receive the signals of ghosts are our relations to
the spirits. Our relatives are so dear to us. When they leave this life forever,
we feel so sad that we think we could not live continually without them. We
always think of them with beautiful memories that they and we had when they
were alive. So sometimes we see the spirits of them.
That is the reason that some people who are always afraid of ghosts see
ghosts more often than people who do not. Our frame of mind is so important.
Take care of your minds.
Lastly, locations are also an important condition to interfere with
ghosts. Locations make some people more sensitive than the other and will see
something in just those places while nothing in others.

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CHAPTER 2: TYPES OF GHOSTS IN LITERATURE
2.1. Types of ghosts in English literature

There are many kinds of ghosts. In ordinary life, we usually hear about
"ma ca rong", "ma doi", "ma dau troc", "ma xo", "ma toc dai", "ma choi", etc.
In English literature, ghosts are classified into many types, mainly according
to three main criteria:
- According to semantics
- According to psychological standard of ghosts
- According to shape shifting
2.1.1. According to semantics
Ghosts, according to this criterion, can be classified into two types:
- The human spirit
- The spirit Helper
2.1.1.1. The human spirit

The energy of the spirit after death decides the its activity in the eyes of
people who believe ghosts exist in life.
There are three subtypes of the human spirit according to its energy level
recognized by the YK Ghost Watch organization:
a) Spirits (hon)
A spirit is an entity on the lowest energy level and therefore unable to
materialize. It usually makes itself known by creating a cold spot or a cool
breeze regardless of the general overall temperature.
It is easy to find this kind of ghost in "Lost Heart" of the collection "The
Locked Room and other Horror Stories":
It was now March 21,1812, a strange day, windy and noisy, Stephen stood in the
garden and felt as if was full of ghosts- people he could not see - who were flying in the
wind and trying to contact with living people in the real world.
(M.R James 16:38)

or in "Voodoo Island" by Michael Duckworth:
When old Kee finishes a strange song, a cold wind began to move in the wind. There
were clouds in the sky, and it began to rain. Soon the wind and the rain to Port au Prince.
(15:30)

b) Ghost/ Apparition (Ma)
Ghost is an entity on the higher energy level (compared with a spirit)
and able to be seen by the living.

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This kind appear after death to revenge, to toss the killer, or to help the
other find out the secrets of their death, or even to save family and friends that
are in danger. This kind of ghosts can be seen in most of the ghost stories.
Let take the ghost in "Martin's Lake" of the collection "The Locked
Room and other Horror Stories" by M.R.James. The girl who had died,
appeared to kill her lover who had betrayed and killed her. In the end, he has
to pay for his sin: "The boy saw a human shape come out of the water and
chase the young gentleman away into the trees and in the end, they found the
body of him at the bottom of the lake and under a tree, covered in blood".
The ghost in "The ghost upon the Rail" of the collection "A Twist in the
tale" of Australia is a bit different. He not only appears to ask the alive to make
clear of his death but also tosses the inner of the killer: "Mr Smith, from the day
on which he did the murder, he had seen the ghost which old weir had seen
sitting on the rail" (5:33). And since he killed his friend - Fisher, his life had
been worth nothing and that he would rather die than go on living this way.
c) Entity/Poltergeist (yeu tinh)
This type of spirit, commonly known as the poltergeist, has the highest
level of energy and literally feeds on a host's energy. Poltergeists, or "noisy
spirits" make loud noises, cause objects to fly across rooms, or even start fires.
They usually haunt families with children or teenagers. Some experts think
that poltergeists are caused by the unconscious minds of unhappy young
people, others from disturbed teenagers.
Although poltergeists often throw heavy objects with great force, it is
rare for them to actually hurt anybody. In one case, a huge potato flew across
the room, narrowly missing some one's head, and shattered into pieces against
the wall. In another, a heavy silver teapot was hurled through the air, but
turned at right angles before it struck anyone, as if the poltergeist was holding

it rather than throwing it. Poltergeists can even make objects go through walls,
for which there is no scientific explanation.
Most poltergeist disturbances are reasonably short - lived, lasting about
two months. In that time, every room in a house may be turned upside down.

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(From: "Ghosts and the Supernatural" by Colin Wilson)
This photograph of flying kitchen is typical of poltergeist activity. It
was taken in the home of the Costa family from st.Jeanne de Maurienne, Italy,
in june 1955. Teresa Costa was the "focus", that is, the poltergeist "stole" her
energy to cause chaos.
Based on this kind of ghost, the novelist Herbert George Wells in
particular shows a remarkable imagination to guess about future scientific
developments through "The Invisible Man". He the invisible Man is a human
being, because of scientific aim, made himself invisible. No one sees him. He
travels and attack like a poltergeist. Or in "Martin's Lake" in the collection
"The Locked Room and Other Horror Stories" by M.R.James, the girl who
had been killed by her lover is considered as a poltergeist.
2.1.1.2. The Spirit Helper (Thien than).
A spirit helper is also called an angel that rescues human from harm.
The term "angel" derives from a Greek translation of Hebrew "mal'akh"
later "malaika", which originally meant the "shadow side of God", but later

came to mean message or herald. Both terms, interestingly enough, refer to a
function or status rather an essence. Yet questions of angelic substance have
been departed for centuries.
The biblical view hold that angels were "from above" yet were essentially
humanlike or not, as a rule, invisible.

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According to Saint Thomas Aquinas, angel were "pure soul", being
lacking the bodies of human.
Lactantius, a Christian apologist writing in the third and fourth centuries
A.D, argued for a principle of relativity: compared to humans, angel appeared
embodied - Thus they might be said to possess "subtle bodies".
"Angel" usually wears wings on both his cap and his feet. In Viet Nam,
"angel" is called "but, tien" who bring people good news and come to help
them. "But" has helped Tam in "Tam Cam" have a happy life in the end.
In English literature, spirit helpers appear in many works, one of them is
"A Christmas Carol" by Charles Dicken. Three spirits help the main character
Mr Scrooge love his life more.
Here, it needs to be distinguished with the omen of death. It also brings
news but not good news.

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2.1.2. According to Psychological Standard of Ghosts:
2.1.2.1. Sad, Wispy Ones (Ma buon)
Sad, wispy ghosts are ghosts which are working out some unfinished
earthly business, or suffering some purgatorial purification until released from
their earthly business. These ghosts would seem to be the ones who just barely
made to learn many painful lessons about their past life on earth. Readers who
have ever read "The Ghost upon the Rail" in the collection "A twist in the
Tale" of Australia cannot surely forget the sad face which was full of
disappointments about the betrayal of the dear friend of the ghost Fisher. His
close friend - Mr Smith killed him to rob his possessions. He, seeming to be to
too hurtful about his past life, cannot be free. Until his death was made clear,
people did not see him sitting on the rail where he was killed or somewhere
else. His soul was free from this difficult real life.
2.1.2.2. The Malicious and Deceptive Ones (Ma lua loc, hiem ac)
This kind of ghosts, since they are deceptive, they hardly ever appear
malicious. These are probably the ones who respond the conjuring at seances.
They probably come from Hell. These spirits are called ghosts with bad
meanings. These always appear to threaten children or kind or sensible people,
such as the ghosts in "The Turn of the Screw" by Henry James. A governess
takes charge of two children, Miles (10 years old) and Flora (his younger
sister), at the lonely country house of Bly. She sees the ghosts of the former
steward, Peter Quint, and governess, Miss Jessel. Her suspicion that the

children are in touch with the ghosts is confirmed by their evasiveness when
questioned. In a final confrontation she is determined to free Miles from
Quint's malign influence, but the boy dies in her arms. It is the malign
influence of those ghosts that make the minds of two children filled with
clouds. They become more worried and difficult to talk to. And in the end, the
boy dies because of the ghosts.
They are, no doubts, malicious and deceptive ghosts.
2.1.2.3. The Bright, Happy Ones (Ma hanh phuc)
These are bright, happy spirits of dead friends and family, esp spouses
who appear unbidden, at God's will, not ours, with message of hope and love.
They seem to come from Heaven. Unlike the purgatorial ghosts, who come
back primarily for their own sake, these bright spirits come back for the sake

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of the living, to tell the living all is well. Heavenly spirits always convince us
that they are genuinely good. Even the bright spirit appears ghostlike to us
because a ghost of any type is one. Whose substance does not belong in or
come from this world. In Heaven these spirits are not ghosts but real, solid and
substantial because they are at home there. One cannot be a ghost in one's
own country. As in "The Woman in the Black Coat" by Joseph Sheridan Le
Fan in the collection "The Room in the Tower and other ghost stories" by
Rudgard Kipling and others, the spirit of the dead sister visits the narrator at

night and tells her that she is safe from the danger:
"Sometimes my dead sister visits me at night, but I am never afraid. She tells me that
the blind woman is trying to find me at Cathergillagh and that she wants to kill me...But she
can never find me there."
(Ruddgard Kipling 20:12)

That there are all three kinds of ghosts is enormously likely. Even taking
into accounts our penchant to deceive and be deceived, our credulity and
fakery, there remain so many trustworthy accounts and stories of all three types
of ghosts - trustworthy by every ordinary empirical and psychological standard.
2.1.3. According to Shape Shifting
It is clear that ghost is a supernatural being. It can do many things that
human being cannot do. For example, it can shift into many phenotypes.
According to this criterion, ghosts are called vampires.
A vampire is the spirit of a dead body but for some reasons cannot be
free. It can stay alive by drinking the blood of the living. There are many
excellent literary works about vampires, of which "Dracula" by Bram Stoker is
the most famous. This kind of ghost and the well- known "Dracula" will be
studied more carefully in the CHAPTER 3.
2.2. Charms

As it have mentioned, there are many kinds of ghosts. Many of them
hurt the living while the others do not. The ghosts that hurt the living are very
bad (such as the malicious and deceptive ghosts or vampires) and the living
need to stay away them. These are often called evils. That is the reason why in
order to keep away from evils, charms are used. Not only to protect people,
charms are hoped for bringing good luck for them. Charms can be tiny
Buddha, four- leaf clovers, horseshoes, eye of Horus, carved wooden head as
these pictures.

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( From: "Ghosts and the Supernatural" by Colin Wilson.)
Many people carry tiny Budhas and four - leaf clovers to bring them good
luck. Other charms such as horseshoes are believed to make the owner lucky
in love or business.
Do these charms really work? They can certainly make you feel lucky
and most people have noticed that when they feel lucky they are lucky.

(From: "Ghosts and the Supernatural" by Colin Wilson)

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The amulet or lucky charm shown above comes from ancient Egypt,
and was placed on mummified bodies to protect them. Their eye belongs to
the God Horus and had the power to heal. Charms are still used in the 20th

century to cure sickness and keep away evil. This carving of a woman's head
was left at the entrance of a village, to scare off the evil spirits. Terrifying
masks are worn in the secret seremonies of the Ibibio people to ward off evil.
The people have other ways to scare away evils, for example, the best
way to scare off old women was to trip nude, or safest way to go in the dark at
night is cursing evils as you walk, etc.
2.3. The reasons for writers to choose ghost as a topic in
literature

2.3.1. Ghosts are Used to Entertain the Readers
Ghosts with their mystery always increase the attraction for the literary
works. Ghost is a rather interesting and attracting topic of all the time. People
usually gossip about ghosts. They like to gather together to talk about what they
cannot explain, what are out of their knowing. They are very curious. It is the
curiosity that ghost stories attract people. People like ghost stories with bated
breath, an anxious mind and the sense of exhiclaration. Therefore, choosing
ghost topic, the writers want their works to be loved and in great demand of
reading. That was also the main reasons that “The Phantom of the Opera" was
written. Gaston Leroux visited the Paris House many times. He liked the huge,
beautiful building. The Opera House was not built between 1861 and 1875. It is
167 meters long, 122 meters wide and 82 meters high. It has 17 floors and a tall
roof. There are 80 dressing rooms for the actors, dancers and musicians. There are
very many stairs, corridors and storeroom... In 1910, Leroux heard some strange
stories about the Opera House. The people of the Opera House talked about a
ghost. The ghost lived in the building. Accidents had happened in the building too.
Once, a huge glass chandelier fell from the ceiling. One woman died. Leroux
thought about these things and he wrote this book. Immediately, the book became
the best - seller. Many films and plays have been made of the story "The Phantom
of the Opera".
Ghost is a supernatural phenomenon. Until now, the belief about ghost's

existence has been controversial because there are no clear, sound explanation for

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it. Ghost itself is a mystery. It, therefore, works effectively when ghost has been
used to talk about mystery by writers. Ghost is not real in these stories, simply
appears to talk about real things but very strange and mysterious to the living. In
"The Phantom of the Opera" by Jenifer Bassett, for example, ghost is not real. He Erik is not a ghost. He is a man, but he has a face of a dead man: no nose, just two
black holes in his yellow face, his eyes are black holes, sometimes they have a
terrible red light. Because of the face, Erik had to lead this strange life: half man,
half phantom. He was a very clever, very dangerous man. He could be in one
place, and his voice could come from another place. He could do many clever
things with ropes, mirror, and secret doors. It is clear that people believe he is a
ghost because of his ugly face and his cleverness. If a ghost was not used in this
story, the writer would fail to explain the strange things about man, therefore "The
Phantom of the Opera" would not come to us.
Besides this story, many other stories that famous for usage of ghosts to
increase the attraction are: "Dead man's Island" by John Escott, "Frankenstein" by
Mary Shelley, "The Invisible Man" by H.GWells, etc.
2.3.2. Ghosts are Used to Reflect the Struggles of the Good and the Bad
in our Society.
The Earth still goes around the Sun and people always try their best to
reach the perfect. Therefore, the struggle for the better cannot be absent in our

life, because only struggles against the Bad help human exist and develop.
That fact is as simple as the law of nature. In our society, the struggles
between the Good and the Bad can be struggles between love and hate,
superstition and strong belief, hallucination and fact, greed and generosity,
even human and nature, etc. All those struggles are reflected in literature. As
many other images, ghosts have been successfully used for that purpose of the
writers. And in most works, ghosts are used as representatives of the Bad.
In "The Turn of the Screw" by Henry James, the ghosts of the former
steward Peter Quint and the governess Miss Jessel are as representatives of the
Bad who make life of the children full of clouds and make the boy die and the
new governess is as a representative of the Good who try to help two children
stay away the malign influence of the ghosts. The fact that, after a brief
introductory section, the story is told from the point of view of the governess
raises doubts about whether the ghosts are "real" or merely her hallucinations.

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Graduation thesis

There are also many stories as well as novels having ghosts as an image
that have left a deep impression on readers, of which the most famous novel
having ghosts as the bad in society is "Dracula" by Bram Stoker. This will be
analyzed more clearly in CHAPTER 3.
2.3.3. Ghost is Used as a Representative of the Past, the Old World before
the Development of the Present, the New World.

Ghosts are spirits of the dead, that is why they are used to talk about the
past, the ancient. The life has to continually change. That is the law of life.
However, some changes come to so fast that people feel confused. It is
difficult for them to go on well with the new life. Because of that, they do not
want to change, they only want to live with the past. Moreover, not all changes
are good, so the question whether we should change the world or not is put
out. Talking about this, we cannot forget the writer Michael Duckworth who
started writing when he was living in Malaysia. It was there, too, that he first
became interested in old ghost stories and beliefs about magic and spirits, and
these ideas are an important part of "Voodoo Island". This is the story about
the fight between the old world and the new world. James Conway wants to
bring the new world to Haiti. He wants to build new houses, shops, and hotels
- and he wants to build them on an old graveyard, on the island of Haiti. Most
of all, he want to make money. Kee is an old man who understands and loves
the old world. Kee has very little money, he is not an "important" person in
the new world. But the old man has friends - friends in the graveyard, friends
who lie dead, under the ground. And he understands Voodoo. Haiti is an
island where people do not always die - they only sleep. Voodoo can bring
dead people back to life. Voodoo can speak to the spirits of all things, alive or
dead. Voodoo is the magic of Haiti. There are still people, today, who use
voodoo magic to speak to the dead. When Conway starts to build his houses,
he makes the terrible mistake of disturbing the sleep of the dead, Conway
becomes mad. In this story, ghosts are used as a supernatural power , stand
for the past and together with Kee to win Conway. No one blocks the progress
but progress has to concord with the traditional morality, has to develop on the
basis of the past. It is the message that Michael Duckworth wants to send us
via "Voodoo Island".

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Graduation thesis

2.3.4. Ghosts are Used as a Means to Wing the Message of the Writers
that, Life is Beautiful, We should Know the Way to Live Better and
Enjoy it.
Because of the characteristics, ghosts used for this purpose are usually
happy, bright ones or angels.
Life is difficult. In all aspects of life, there are many difficulties to
overcome. On the way to reach our aims, we sometimes loose ourselves
surely. And because ghosts are considered as a supernatural being, they have
power as well as potential to do many things that man cannot do, especially
they can obsess man's mind. Taking advantages of this characteristic, writers
used ghosts to recall man's conscience. For example, in "The Ghost upon the
Rail" of the collection "A Twist in the Tale" of Australia, the ghost Fisher
appears for his killer to see. However, this works effectively. This tosses the
killer's conscience. This makes a man who is ready to make sins only to have
a lot of money regardless of nothing has to regret and he himself pay the
price for his sin.
Life is also busy. People have no time to enjoy life. They forget the way
to enjoy life. Ghosts with their power have helped those people overview their
life and let them learn their lessons themselves. That is the case of Mr Scrooge
in "A Christmas Carol" by Charles Dickens. Christmas is expected by
everyone except he. "Christmas is humbug", he says, "Just a time when you
find yourself a year older and not a penny richer". The only thing that matters
to Scrooge is business and making money. "A Christmas Carol" have been

successful because the writer used spirits (angels) to change the way of
thinking about life of Mr. Scrooge. On Christmas Eve three spirits come to
visit him. They take him travelling on the wings of night to see the shadows of
Christmas past, present, and future - and Scrooge learns a lesson that he will
never forget. His viewpoint of life changes owing to three spirits. Only these
angels can do this difficult thing.
There are many other reasons, of course, but those are main reasons that
writers create ghost image in their work.

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