GHOST STORIES ESSAY BRAINSTORM by Tyke O'Brien https://padlet.com/tobrien28/1vhmom6njutlgqjj What texts might work with each essay prompt? What themes or concepts or specific foci would make for gripping analysis? What stunning connections can you draw across stories? en-us 2021-10-08 20:19:34 UTC 2021-10-19 17:19:36 UTC hello@padlet.com https://padlet.net/icons/png/1f47b.png Letters: J&B https://padlet.com/tobrien28/1vhmom6njutlgqjj/wish/1811866826 We will be writing letters between the ghosts of Karswell and the Signalman reminiscing on their lives and realizing where they went wrong. ]]> 2021-10-12 19:45:20 UTC https://padlet.com/tobrien28/1vhmom6njutlgqjj/wish/1811866826 Dichotomies and Death of Old Ideas https://padlet.com/tobrien28/1vhmom6njutlgqjj/wish/1811867879 The Signalman
- Death of old Romanticism and the individual in exchange for modern rational thought and technology

Man-Sized in Marble
- Old masculine power holding back progress
- Maybe the death of these progressive ideas when they're just starting to make progress (Laura died half out the window)

- Chase W]]> 2021-10-12 19:45:54 UTC https://padlet.com/tobrien28/1vhmom6njutlgqjj/wish/1811867879 https://padlet.com/tobrien28/1vhmom6njutlgqjj/wish/1811870564 How the perspective of a story (point of view of the narrator, specifically) affects the ambiguity of the ending -emily ]]> 2021-10-12 19:47:16 UTC https://padlet.com/tobrien28/1vhmom6njutlgqjj/wish/1811870564 Lori - Prompt #5 22jangl https://padlet.com/tobrien28/1vhmom6njutlgqjj/wish/1811870690 Ghost stories for generations have utilized their settings to truly maximize the effects of the haunting on both the characters and the readers but in different manners. In “The Judge’s House,” the home becomes a place of exponentially intensifying trappings, while in “The Monkey’s Paw,” the house is an eerie deception of a safe haven. 



]]> 2021-10-12 19:47:20 UTC https://padlet.com/tobrien28/1vhmom6njutlgqjj/wish/1811870690 (Aaron) Power and those who wield it. https://padlet.com/tobrien28/1vhmom6njutlgqjj/wish/1811871296 Casting the Runes and Monkeys Paw deal with mortals given an unnaturally great power. Parallels between Marxist views of Proletariat and Bourgeoisie may be made. ]]> 2021-10-12 19:47:39 UTC https://padlet.com/tobrien28/1vhmom6njutlgqjj/wish/1811871296 Lily Lopez: Ghost Stories As Allegory - Xenophobia vs Masculine Thought https://padlet.com/tobrien28/1vhmom6njutlgqjj/wish/1811873017 Ghost stories contain an abundance of complex messages and hidden meanings. It is up to us readers to interpret this and uncover what is told.

Monkey’s Paw, perpetuates Xenophobia when the characters condemn foreign culture

The Judge’s House, haunting that the main protagonist experiences represent the consequences of traditional masculine thought.
]]> 2021-10-12 19:48:35 UTC https://padlet.com/tobrien28/1vhmom6njutlgqjj/wish/1811873017 Max prompt 2 https://padlet.com/tobrien28/1vhmom6njutlgqjj/wish/1811873029 I am using essay prompt 2 with the stories "Monkey Paw" and "Man Size in Marble" and exploring how the authors either promote or criticize the values of their time, which we now see both as traditional and outdated. Man-size in Marble: Criticizing patriarchy, Monkey's Paw: promoting xenophobia.]]> 2021-10-12 19:48:36 UTC https://padlet.com/tobrien28/1vhmom6njutlgqjj/wish/1811873029 Scott - Prompt 2 https://padlet.com/tobrien28/1vhmom6njutlgqjj/wish/1811873842 I will be looking at The Monkey’s paw and The Signalman as allegorical readings, critiquing the capitalism which is seen when we observe the motivations of money and the industrial revolution.]]> 2021-10-12 19:49:00 UTC https://padlet.com/tobrien28/1vhmom6njutlgqjj/wish/1811873842 https://padlet.com/tobrien28/1vhmom6njutlgqjj/wish/1811874703 3.) (Josh Beserra) Ghosts As History That Will Not Die: Explain how spirits that endure trauma during their lifetime on Earth must carry out vengeance on their oppressors and return the deed. There is a pattern of spirits enacting revenge on clueless/non-believers which contributes to not only their haunting but could continue the cycle of forming more revenant spirts (Man Sized in Marble and Judge's House)]]> 2021-10-12 19:49:22 UTC https://padlet.com/tobrien28/1vhmom6njutlgqjj/wish/1811874703 Marcus - Prompt 4 22chenm https://padlet.com/tobrien28/1vhmom6njutlgqjj/wish/1811875303 In the ghost stories Signalman and Casting the Runes, despite Karswell’s and the signalman’s awareness of the ghosts, their death reveal that those with a belief in the irrational and past will be left behind. ]]> 2021-10-12 19:49:40 UTC https://padlet.com/tobrien28/1vhmom6njutlgqjj/wish/1811875303 The Signalman in Response to Prompt #2 (Sofia) https://padlet.com/tobrien28/1vhmom6njutlgqjj/wish/1811875903 Classism and the Industrial Revolution are represented through the death of the signalman. As a worker working in a dismal environment, the signalman falls victim to the effects of the Industrial Revolution and social class issues. ]]> 2021-10-12 19:50:00 UTC https://padlet.com/tobrien28/1vhmom6njutlgqjj/wish/1811875903 The Haunted Space/House 22sakair https://padlet.com/tobrien28/1vhmom6njutlgqjj/wish/1811876946 The house is an extension of the ghost 

OR 

Do the people control the image of the house (village knowledge/is it psychological) or does the house control the people (is it real)?

still deciding.
-Regan]]> 2021-10-12 19:50:27 UTC https://padlet.com/tobrien28/1vhmom6njutlgqjj/wish/1811876946 Considering Conclusions https://padlet.com/tobrien28/1vhmom6njutlgqjj/wish/1811877134 The Signalman
-Industrial Revolution
-Capitalism
Casting the Runes
-Karma
-Old/Mystical vs. New/Rational]]> 2021-10-12 19:50:33 UTC https://padlet.com/tobrien28/1vhmom6njutlgqjj/wish/1811877134 Prompt 4 Chris https://padlet.com/tobrien28/1vhmom6njutlgqjj/wish/1811877818 Monkey's Paw & Casting the Runes
I will contrast the use of conflict between the stories in relation to how they serve to satisfy the ending and compare the pervasiveness of the number three/ Holy Trinity and how they affect the stories' conclusions as well as how they suggest a resolution to each story's moral conundrum. Outisde connection to familial love and cyclical nature (what goes around comes around).]]> 2021-10-12 19:50:47 UTC https://padlet.com/tobrien28/1vhmom6njutlgqjj/wish/1811877818 Chase Sullivan prompt 2 https://padlet.com/tobrien28/1vhmom6njutlgqjj/wish/1811879213 In the ghost story, Man-Size In Marble, the marble figures represent the toxic masculinity of the 1800s British society. These statues are the ghosts of wicked and foul men who benefited from this patriarchal society. They now are depicted in a praying position, stripping them of their power. This leads them to assert their power and dominance over Laura, a woman who feels trapped in her relationship because of gender roles. As Laura tries to escape from these roles and tries to take a step towards becoming a "new woman" the marble figures are there to stifle her resistance. ]]> 2021-10-12 19:51:25 UTC https://padlet.com/tobrien28/1vhmom6njutlgqjj/wish/1811879213 ghost stories as allegory 22ohk https://padlet.com/tobrien28/1vhmom6njutlgqjj/wish/1811879232 The Monkey's Paw 
- deeper investigation of the paw's origins and owner reveals a potential purpose to the paw as well as larger themes of materialism, capitalism, and xenophobia 
- Kylie ]]> 2021-10-12 19:51:25 UTC https://padlet.com/tobrien28/1vhmom6njutlgqjj/wish/1811879232 The Haunted Space https://padlet.com/tobrien28/1vhmom6njutlgqjj/wish/1811893221 The empty house
the legacy of the house has lived beyond the story attached to it: "It all happened a century ago, and I've not been able to get more details of the story." The house has taken on a life of its own.

What exactly has the house taken on to make it different than the other houses- what creates the horror factor

IP]]> 2021-10-12 19:57:41 UTC https://padlet.com/tobrien28/1vhmom6njutlgqjj/wish/1811893221 Premonitions of Evil - Stiles and Owen https://padlet.com/tobrien28/1vhmom6njutlgqjj/wish/1820404449 We will be examining an "offbeat" analysis of ours that places the narrator as the killer in "Man-Sized in Marble." ]]> 2021-10-15 20:50:36 UTC https://padlet.com/tobrien28/1vhmom6njutlgqjj/wish/1820404449 Bella Bonfante 22bonfantei https://padlet.com/tobrien28/1vhmom6njutlgqjj/wish/1820413804 I am going to be focusing on "The Judge's House" and "The Empty House", and comparing if the theory (Village Wisdom) was used differently in each story, how would that change the outcome and each character's fate? ]]> 2021-10-15 21:01:24 UTC https://padlet.com/tobrien28/1vhmom6njutlgqjj/wish/1820413804 How to Turn a Haunted House Into a Haunted Home: Angie and Hope https://padlet.com/tobrien28/1vhmom6njutlgqjj/wish/1820420578 The two of us will analyze "The Empty House" and "The Judge's House" to discuss the cycle of violence and trauma without justice or direct revenge. We'll also focus on the difference between direct revenge (the original victim) versus multiple instances of indirect revenge (the main characters of the stories), as well as trauma theory and disregard of village wisdom.]]> 2021-10-15 21:09:59 UTC https://padlet.com/tobrien28/1vhmom6njutlgqjj/wish/1820420578 Resistance to Progress (Natalia) https://padlet.com/tobrien28/1vhmom6njutlgqjj/wish/1820420836 I will be analyzing "Casting The Runes" and "The Signalman" through the lens of the rejection of progress. "Casting The Runes" illustrates the tension between modern scientific thought and spirituality, while "The Signalman" warns against industrialization and social stratification. I will explore how the ghost genre is employed to illustrate the pervasive, cyclical nature of these issues throughout history, rather than during one specific time period.

-NSE]]> 2021-10-15 21:10:20 UTC https://padlet.com/tobrien28/1vhmom6njutlgqjj/wish/1820420836 Christian Baydaline & Joshie B 22baydalinec https://padlet.com/tobrien28/1vhmom6njutlgqjj/wish/1820429424 We will be exploring the unsatisfactory endings of Casting the Runes and The Empty House, hopefully making a connection to the broader meanings of the stories.]]> 2021-10-15 21:21:16 UTC https://padlet.com/tobrien28/1vhmom6njutlgqjj/wish/1820429424 Carolyn Lira https://padlet.com/tobrien28/1vhmom6njutlgqjj/wish/1820430268 Using The Judge’s House and The Empty House to examining how, like people, houses and objects we attach emotional value to remember our experiences and are part of our lasting impact when we are gone. 

]]> 2021-10-15 21:22:17 UTC https://padlet.com/tobrien28/1vhmom6njutlgqjj/wish/1820430268 Garrett 22olmstedg https://padlet.com/tobrien28/1vhmom6njutlgqjj/wish/1820434036 I will be examining the different representations of gender and gender roles in the “Empty House”. Specifically I will be looking at how the author portrays the interaction between the aunt and the narrator in reference to their gender and the two ghosts in the house and how that relates to the overall story. 
 

]]> 2021-10-15 21:26:45 UTC https://padlet.com/tobrien28/1vhmom6njutlgqjj/wish/1820434036 Ghost Stories as the Eruption of the the Oppressed https://padlet.com/tobrien28/1vhmom6njutlgqjj/wish/1820435135 My topic is about the representation of the "left behind" as ghosts. I will focus on the text of Man Sized in Marble and Casting the Runes, but I will also tie in some of the ideas discussed in the last part of Beloved. 

In Man Sized in Marble, the "ghosts" are the marble knights, and they represent the hyper-masculine patriarchal past that Laura is actively trying to subvert. The past prevails in Man Sized in Marble; the marble knights kill Laura, but the inevitable defeat of the past (as represented by the knights) is an inextricable conclusion given the ending of the story. Laura fights against the knights, both physically and through her dedication to the lifestyle of the "modern woman". Despite the fact that Laura dies, she is able to wound one of the knights, a highly symbolic gesture. 

In Casting the Runes, Karswell is a representative of 20th century reactionary anti-science. He lives in a new society, one focused heavily on empiricism after the introduction of Darwinian thinking to mainstream science. Karswell has been left behind by this new society, as is evident from the rejection of his writings on the occult by various "scientific" journals. Karswell seeks vengeance on modern society for leaving him (and his world) behind in the same way the marble knights seek to destroy Laura as an emissary of a new era.

At the end of Beloved, Toni Morrison argues that the only way to truly move on from such identity-shattering horror as slavery is to join in a community of mourners, and ultimately, to move beyond the trauma of the past. Morrison's message provides a sort of blueprint for those who come after Laura. The women who will usher in a new age of equality will have to content with the marble knights themselves, and though Laura is able to wound the knights, the scars of the past will remain, either in the minds of the victors or in the reminders of what was lost in the fight. The trauma will last, and the survivors will mourn. The application of Morrison's message to Casting the Runes is less clear. History tells us there is no victory for Karswell or mysticism. When there are no survivors, who will mourn the ghosts of the past? Perhaps we, the readers, are the only witnesses to the loss of everything Karswell represented. Is the onus on us, then, to mourn what was lost? I'll need to think a lot more about what the end of Casting the Runes - especially that Karswell is killed by a stone falling from a church - means before writing my thesis.

- Jiashu]]> 2021-10-15 21:28:06 UTC https://padlet.com/tobrien28/1vhmom6njutlgqjj/wish/1820435135 The Uncanny in "The August Heat" https://padlet.com/tobrien28/1vhmom6njutlgqjj/wish/1820436749 W.F. Harvey creates the most nontraditional antagonist in the "August Heat," created out of the narrator's circumstance. As opposed to "Casting of the Runes" or "The Judge's House," the readers in this story can't assign our fears to a revengeful ghost, sadistic psychopath, or a monkey's paw. The "August Heat" lacks an entity or an embodiment for what we are supposed to fear in ghost stories, making it, to me, the most uncanny of all the ones we've read so far.]]> 2021-10-15 21:30:09 UTC https://padlet.com/tobrien28/1vhmom6njutlgqjj/wish/1820436749 Philip and Isaac: Ending Prompt https://padlet.com/tobrien28/1vhmom6njutlgqjj/wish/1820436960 Though it is near impossible to establish a purely objective definition of satisfaction in a ghost story’s conclusion because of its subjective nature, our essay will present general aspects of stories we found satisfying to formulate criteria: objective satisfaction, resolution (or the lack of clear resolution), comfort found within containment of the horror, the nuance of every story being both satisfying and unsatisfying. We will use these elements as a baseline to explore the endings of Casting the Runes (unsatisfying) and something like August Heat.]]> 2021-10-15 21:30:26 UTC https://padlet.com/tobrien28/1vhmom6njutlgqjj/wish/1820436960 Melody & Sasha https://padlet.com/tobrien28/1vhmom6njutlgqjj/wish/1820437382 We will explore how the extent of punishment and social critique factor into the overall satisfactory level of 3(?) stories. ]]> 2021-10-15 21:30:57 UTC https://padlet.com/tobrien28/1vhmom6njutlgqjj/wish/1820437382 Sanity and Ghost Stories 22whitee1 https://padlet.com/tobrien28/1vhmom6njutlgqjj/wish/1820439502 Through "The Judge's House" I will be analyzing how sanity plays a role in Ghost Stories. ]]> 2021-10-15 21:33:23 UTC https://padlet.com/tobrien28/1vhmom6njutlgqjj/wish/1820439502 Jeffrey Reiling 22reilingj https://padlet.com/tobrien28/1vhmom6njutlgqjj/wish/1820445847 I will be looking at "The Signalman" and "Casting the Runes" to see how both social status and the notion of old vs. new play into the fates of the signalman and Karswell for their respective stories.]]> 2021-10-15 21:41:45 UTC https://padlet.com/tobrien28/1vhmom6njutlgqjj/wish/1820445847 Rosalinda Chen https://padlet.com/tobrien28/1vhmom6njutlgqjj/wish/1820453701 I will be comparing and contrasting the endings of the "Monkey's Paw" and "The Empty house". I believe some endings leave out details just enough to satisfy the imagination. There are some comments to inherent greed of humans as well as psychological terror.


]]> 2021-10-15 21:53:05 UTC https://padlet.com/tobrien28/1vhmom6njutlgqjj/wish/1820453701