Reading Notes: Week 2 Anthology

 

Ghosts and Lions

Building Suspense: The Indian Who Wrestled with a Ghost

This story stood out to me because of its creepiness. The story sent shivers up my spine, and I wasn't sure how it would end. Here are some techniques the author used that I think contributed to building suspense:

• The main character travels alone, but he hears voices before he even meets ghosts.
• The ghosts announce their presence with sound first. The first ghost is wailing and in distress, looking for her son, and even before that the main character hears a twig break. The second ghost sings, making his presence known. It seems that detecting a nonhuman being with any sense other than vision, which we rely on most, gives the creepiest feelings because there is the most uncertainty.
• The ghosts' appearances contribute to creepiness. The first ghost is clearly not from the present time period, adding to the sense that something is awry. The author gives many details about her clothing. The second ghost is a skeleton. The smoke coming out of his ribs while smoking feels very unnatural.
• The ghosts have the capacity to harm the main character. The first ghost can lift the main character's foot, and almost cuts it off with a rusty knife. The second ghost's bony hands cause pain when wrestling with the protagonist.
• The setting adds to the frightening mood. It takes place in a forest, and the main character can see the decaying burial scaffold of one ghost.

Other interesting elements:

• The ghosts in this story are repelled and weakened by fire. Many characters in folklore have a fatal weakness.
• Instead of being laid to rest in the ground, some native Americans put their dead in the forks or branches of burial trees, or in above-ground burial scaffolds. Items belonging to the dead person often accompany them (Wikipedia article). One ghost in this story came from a burial scaffold.

Image depicts a burial scaffold in the Sioux war, published in Harper's Weekly and drawn by H.F. Farny.

"The Indian Who Wrestled with a Ghost," from Myths and Legends of the Great Plains by Katharine Berry Judson (1913).

Animal Symbolism: Aesop's Fables: The Lion

Each of these four tales ends with an aphorism, demonstrated in the story by the lion. In each story, the lion symbolizes something different, adding meaning to the tale. Using physical character traits in reference to certain groups or beliefs can make my stories more meaningful.

• In "The Lion's Share," the lion's strength and ability to threaten represents similar abilities of the rich and powerful in society. Even though three other animals equally helped catch their prey, the lion gets to eat it. Similarly, when more wealth is created by society, usually the wealthiest benefit the most. The fox in this story shows both the weakness and resentment that less well-off people in society have.
• In "The Lion in Love," the lion, portrayed as a dangerous wild beast, represents rough people who may soften when they fall in love.
• In "Androcles and the Lion" and "The Lion and the Statue," the lion behaves nobly as the "king of beasts," showing gratitude and mercy in the first story and wisdom in the latter.

It may have been interesting to compare a noble and greedy or beastly lion in one story. As I write, I could make two physically similar characters behave differently and represent different ideas to give the story a particular meaning.

Photo of lion by Catherine Merlin on Unsplash.

"The Lion's Share," "Androcles and the Lion," "The Lion and the Statue," and "The Lion in Love," from The Fables of Aesop by Joseph Jacobs (1894).