Ben Bowman, 10 Gr

Wider Reading Essay

        The supernatural genre has made consistently engrossing reading throughout the

history of popular storytelling. Whenever a new discovery is made that has major

ramifications regarding the nature of conscious existence, regardless of its practical  moral

implications, a certain class of novelist will take inspiration and pen a variety of outlandish

tales of the unexplainable. It is then that the slightly insecure among the general population

start to wonder ‘what if?’. A great many discoveries at any one period in time serves to

enhance this effect, and the stories emerge in clusters. The works of Elizabeth Gaskell, for

instance, where written during the Industrial Revolution. The great acceleration in science

and industry left many people confused and alienated from the world around them. Civil

unrest can also spawn it’s own breed of worrying fables. Gaskell drew her inspiration from

the Gothic period of the 19th century, where wars between the different Templar sects and

religious cults led to severe unrest which is again reflected in the literature. Tales of the

supernatural extend further back than that; right back to the works of Homer and his

contemporaries, who wrote stories about the exploits of the Gods to inspire the armies of

the ancient Greek kingdoms.

        Good and Evil are quiet possibly the two most vague and virtually indecipherable

terms to focus on for a comparative essay such as this. What constitutes good and evil

varies from genre to genre, and from author to author. With the two stories in question

taking the ghosts as evil and their human victims as good would be an acceptable

generalisation to work from, owing to the undesirable reputation of the undead in works of

fiction. Opinions may vary over the intentions of both these groups of subject matter, but it is

the outcome that we must dissect in order to extract the good and evil from the prose.

        A reader desiring a complete run-down of the story so far would be amply provided

for in the opening passages of both, ‘The Old Nurse’s Story’ more so than Mr Westall’s

piece. This is intended to build a scene; the stereotypically babbling old woman recounting

the only interesting event of her long life. The details incorporated in the outset of The Call

are far more important in gaining an understanding into how the plot is going to develop. We

receive a detailed overview of the Samaritans hierarchy and their ‘dark haired ghost’ Harry

Lancaster, who’s unerring dedication to the Samaritans movement was as pure as the aims

of the organisation itself. Nothing sinister in the air thus far.

        Intriguing details are a long time in coming from Ms. Gaskell, but are presented in

due time. The tragic history of premature deaths in a proud family tugs on the proverbial

heart-strings, and we can see the compassionate bonds forming between Hester and Miss.

Rosamond. Deaths resulting from childbirth where not uncommon in Victorian times, so this

situation would present nothing untoward at that period.

        The Manor House estate, complete with ‘gnarled’ thorn trees and other inhospitable

fauna, is the estranged duo’s isolated destination. The estate lies miles from the nearest

settlement; so far away that, should one be issued, no-one would hear a scream. The house

itself holds the same dark and desolate air, made more mysterious by the forbidden east

wing, though in place of untamed wilderness there are some of the usual aristocratic

trappings that come with such a property.

        The narrator of The Call, a beleaguered rota-secretary, described just how difficult

the Christmas Eve slot is to fill, and just how vital Harry’s role is in filling this slot. By doing it

solo he goes against Samaritan rules, something the narrator laments upon later, it appears

that he paid the price. The plot thickens around the point that Harry drives himself into a

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rabid frenzy; absolutely desperate to do his shift. The mental decline of such a pillar of

society would be devastating in any community, and in the closed environment within the

story the effects on both the audience and characters are severe. Commitment is a fine thing,

but natural boundaries between duty and insanity are stampeded on here.

        Against this decidedly sinister background enters Megg and Geoff Charlesworth,

two shining beacons of good grace, with all the innocence of children at Christmas. For

anyone remotely familiar with modern horror films their role could not be ...

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