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Ghostly Hands and Ghostly Agency: The Changing Figure of the Nineteenth-Century SpecterAuthor(s): Jennifer BannSource: Victorian Studies, Vol. 51, No. 4 (Summer 2009), pp. 663-685Published by: Indiana University PressStable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/10.2979/VIC.2009.51.4.663 .
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Summer 2009
Ghostly Hands and Ghostly Agency:
The Changing Figure o the Nineteenth-Century Specter
Jennifer Bann
To bgi with, ma was dad. Athogh a o Scoogs
pcocptios a disatd b th d o Chas Dickss
A Christmas Carol(1843), his o coags dis is ot
aog th. mas ghost a appa ad spak, bt it caot
-sig th bia gist, as th a ad its soita o,
o chag th iti o dtachd ct that pcdd it. Scoogs
vatio is ot that th dad ca wak, bt that th caot ato o
thi pvios sis. Th phsib actios o mas i a
bodid as hav, stictiv objcts at his datha chai ad o
ash-boxs, ks, padocks, dgs, dds, ad hav pss woght
i st (15)ad h is t with Scoogs agc as a sbstitt ohis ow, xpaiig that it is o b psadig th ivig to chag
thi was that his ta so ca b d.
I pstig ghosts as sstia stictd gscatasts
to aoths actio ath tha th agts o thi owDicks pacs
mas ghost i a og taditio o th iitd dad. mas chais
pst ot th cosqcs o his actios bt th gatio
o actio its, a at shad with th pocssio o oth spcts
Scoog viws o his widow: Th is with th a was, ca,
that th soght to it, o good, i ha atts, ad had ostth pow o v (22). I this, th ghosts cho spcts as distat as
th icta vg Od Hat, o th o Achis,
xpaiig to Odsss that h wod ath wok th soi as a s o
Abstract: This pap ivstigats th coctio btw th spiitaist ovt
ad th ita ghost sto, both o which ca to poic dig th scod ha
o th itth ct. Whi xistig citica itat has viwd both phoa
as sptos o a wid Victoia asciatio with th spata ad th possibiit
o a ati, itt atttio has b paid to th atioship btw th. This
pap ags o a sh dstadig o th post-1850 ghost sto, o that ads thappaac, bhavio, ad agc o ita ghosts as a daatic pstatio o a
w cocptio o th dada cocptio catd ag b spiitais.
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664 JennIer BAnn
VICTOrIAn STuDIeS / VOlume 51, nO. 4
hi to so adss ipovishd pasat tha b Kig o a ths
iss dad (Ho 173). Wh ths ghosts wakd, it was ot to
d daths o as agcs tiat tis, bt to a it. oma, ad pottia o Scoog, dath psts ot tasoa-
tio bt iitatio, ad ghosts ot agcs cotiatio bt a
phatic dostatio o its tpoait.
I th spata ctio o th at itth ct,
dath bga to big do: shacks, sic, ad gt w cast
asid, ad ghosts bca activ gs powd ath tha
costaid b thi daths. Th oigis o this shit, I wi ag, i
otsid spata ctio ad withi th wid sph o cta
pstatios o th spata as a who. Th apid spad ad
popait o th spiitaist ovt i th id-itth ct
cotibtd a w od o th ghost to spata itat,
adifcd b th activ, pow gs o th sac oo
th spcts o th ghost sto chagd. This tasoatio ca b
s ost ca i spata itat b tacig th dvop-
ts o th ghost had, o th powss had-wigig o
mas ghost to th cotoig, gidig, o dostativ hads o
at ghosts. With this top I wi gst, as it w, towad th dbtth ghost sto paid to spiitais.
Th a w dict cs to spiitais i th spat-
a ctio witt dig its ost poic as, ad th act that this
ss, at st gac, to b o aa i which ghost stois a ath
isoatd o thi socia cotxt has codd th coctio btw
th. With its pthoa o sacs, atiaizatios, ctopas, ad tab-
appigs, spiitais is stag oittd o th ghost stois with
which it shad dcads o popait; both spiitais ad th ghost
sto gw apid i th 1850s, pakd i popait dig th astdcads o th itth ct, ad add to ativ obscit b th
1930s. Spiitais ad w appaacs i ctio, howv, ad thos
stois i which it did pa a sbstatia o coctatd o its ois
ath tha its ghosts. H Jass mad-ev (1900) citicizs spi-
itais as a dia o both dath ad bacd i, whi eizabth
Stat Phpss Th Da o m Dath (1868) attacks its os abs-
ditis; ths stois povid didactic o ivt cota po th
ovt, ad do ot pt th ovts covtios to aativ s.1
Ad v ths w a xcptios. Viwig th Victoia spata
o th pspctiv o th ghost sto, a ad ight g o
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GHOSTly HAnDS AnD GHOSTly AGenCy 665
Summer 2009
dcads o tas abot ghosts acit ad ashioab, od ad og,
vg ad piti, ovd ad ad, with itt ida that a igios
ovt ctd aod th had v xistd.Th ack o xpicit cs to spiitais i th ghost
sto, howv, dos ot idicat a ack o ifc. Spiitaiss
cotibtio to spata itat was ot iitd to th sac
ad a o its tappigs; it hpd to sbt taso th g o th
ghost, o th ss-tha-ha appaitios o ai aativs ito
th o-tha-ha chaacts o th at itth ct. Th
ivsa pactic aogst spiitaists to to appaitios o th
dad as spiits, ath tha vats, spcts, o ghosts, fcts this
chag: wh th pvat ct dstads ghosts as iitd,
cho-ik gs ik ma, Od Hat, ad Achis, th cast
wa to distigish btw th od ad th w is to pac ghosts
with aoth t. Ad t, as dcisio to to a appaitios o
th dad as ghosts wi idicat, sch spiitaist gs a o ss
ghosts tha thi ai cotpats.2 Bath its cais o w v-
atio, its ticos poccpatio with v spiita, phsica, ad
oa dtai o th i o th wod to co, ad its tpica gadios
ad atastic poacs ad itas, spiitais w iagidspctait as sothig iht pow ad tasoativ. As
th assd a o cta aativ o, th spcta gs o th
ita ghost sto boght with th a iq kid o pow ad
pschoogica dpth.
Spiritualism as a New Revelation
I cotast to its othwod tachigs, spiitais bga i
sbbia. I 1848, th ox ai, ivig i Hdsvi, nw yok, hadi thi hos pcia sods that sd to co o th was ad
it. Addssig th ivisib soc o th sods, twv-a-
od Kat ox askd that it cop h b oowig th staps o h oot.
Copig with this, th appat tit th pocdd to ap ot
a b askd o it, icdig a qst b Kats oth Cathi
that it giv th spctiv ags o h chid (it was coct o a o
th, icdig a daght who had did so as pvios). At
a cod o coicatio was stabishd, th spiit caid to b
that o a pdd who had b dd i th hos so as
ai. Whth o ot this otat a v xistd soo bca
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666 JennIer BAnn
VICTOrIAn STuDIeS / VOlume 51, nO. 4
ag ivat to spitaiss sccss; as Kat ad magat ox
(aog with thi d sist, lah) bga toig th gio with
siia poacs, ad oth Aicas discovd thsvs tob dis capab o aig ssags o o spiits, spiit-
ais td o a acdot ito a ovt.
I its st v as, spiitais spad acoss th ti
cot ad bga to ach ovsas. A bi i popait i 1850s
Aica svd o to icas it swh, as Aica possioa
dis took thi tad to o cptiv adics. I Bitai, th
ost popa dstiatio, ths idividas w ag sposib
o th ogoig pocss o tasatatic xchag that akd spiit-
ais o th st o th ct: b th ti that spiitais statd to
gai popait i its ho cot i th 1860s, Bitish spiitais
had gow stog ogh that sbt dics, sch as a icasd
phasis o socia adica idas, took hod i Aica. exact
bs o spiitaists at a poit i th ovts histo a
dict to gath; th tdc o both spiitaist ad ati-spiit-
aist wits to xaggat o ct, ad th absc o a accat
wa to distigish btw th t ddicatd ad th cios
at a spiitaist tig (o th cobiatio o thos ast two, asdostatd ost daatica b th cotovs that aos i 1860
wh a spiitaist piodica caid Dickss so Cha as a
covt at h attdd a sac), add to th copicatio. nvth-
ss, it is ai to sa that spiitaiss popait aid high ogh
to iva aista igios ovts thoghot th scod ha
o th ct.
Spiitaiss haz bodais ad boad scop o bis
tptd a to ipos a siga aativ ad phiosoph po it,
a act ot iitd to spiitaists thsvs. To a th ox sists asth stat o th ovt pop is to gct th dg to which its
xposiv gowth qid a pbic d aad sdd b pvios
igios ovts (nw egad tascdtais, o istac,
o which spiitaists adoptd th aad boowd witigs o th
Swdish stic ea Swdbog aog with th ida o idivida
accss to a aost pathistic ss o th divi), ad b oth ps-
doscitic ovts (ost otab sis, which povidd
spiitaists with th cocpt o a thic fid thogh which spiits
cod act po th ata wod). Spiitais aso dw o idi-
vidas sch as Adw Jackso Davis, th Poghkpsi S, whos
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668 JennIer BAnn
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I 1853, wh sixt spiitaist piodicas w aad i
pit i th uS ad th ox sists w toig th cot with thi
sacs, Harpers New Monthly Magazinepitd o o th st gthattacks o spiitais to appa i th aista pss. This w
o o dooog, H J. raods ditoia caid, was o
o tha a ak Saddccis, that ipdt ptds to b
covtd to a bi i dvis ad spiits o its ow akig; a its
cais, ad a its spposd phoa, w o sh atais,
d a assd spiita o (699). As th ast statt ipis,
ths accsatios o dooog ot to a activit with sp-
ata bigs, bt to th aw basph o th pact o th
spiita with a atiaistic sst o bi, i which spiit its was
ataizd (700). Spiitaiss ocs o th appaitios o th dad
is ot citicizd h, bt its pstatio ad s o th is; b
spakig o cticit, pogss, ad phsica aws to xpai its
phoa, spiitais dags th so ito th da discos
o scitic atioais.
Bt o spiitaists, th divisio btw th phsica ad th
taphsica was a ic o a ss ightd past. Jst as ota
i was o o stag o ha xistc, to b oowd b vaiosvs o ascdac thogh a ati with its ow atia ad-
scap, so was att capab o xistig i a b o dit os.
Th tipatit divisio o bod, so, ad spiit, which was data
to spiitaist thoog, ctd po this ath sa ida o phs-
icait; at dath, th s taid so o o spatia idividait
i th o o th spiit, which i i xistd as a itdia
btw so ad bod. mad p o a tha att ivisib to th
ivig, th spiit assd a o sbig th ota bod at
dath, ad cod aso choos to coth its i a oth o o phs-ica att i it wishd (as, o xap, i th accots o spiits at-
iaizig at sacs).4 Th sos o both ivig ad dad xistd withi
th ata wod, bt th ivig w iitd i pcptio ad actio
to o a sa pat o it; with dath, ad with th oss o th ota
bod, th so xpicd ot th iitatio bt ath
powt.
o spiitaists, th, do o th phsica bod was
ikd ixticab to do o agc i a wid ss. Spiitaist
dsciptios o th bod a it as th copoa atativ to
mas chais, paisig dath i cotast as a ot o ibatio,
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GHOSTly HAnDS AnD GHOSTly AGenCy 669
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wh th ag bok th caskt ad st th piso (Batt
92). rpatd, spiitaist witig sts th tascdt do o
th spiit agaist th capd cot o bodis that costittdtts (Hoa 171) ad ath-ask[s] (Ow, Footfalls 371).
Jabz C. Woodas 1857 papht istats th ctait o this
dichoto to spiitaist bi, povidig a spiitaist goss o St.
Pas dsciptio o a a caght p ito paadis, [who] had
spakab wods, which it is ot aw o a a to ha (1 Coi-
thias 12:34): Ths wods cod o b ttd b spiita ogas
o spch, wh divstd o xta att. Pa was sti cothd b
a xta bod o att. It was ot possib o hi to tt ths
wods, bcas h cod ot xcis his ita ogas o
spch (31).
Th qivocatio btw th possib ad pissib is
dibat, as ata costaits a qatd to taphsica aws. To
b d o pactica stictios o ovt ad spch is aso to
b d o divi iposd stictios o kowdg. I th phsi-
cait o th fsh is dscibd i cocpta ts, as ath bodis
bco pishts, pisos, tts, ad asks, th cocpta
stictios ca bco phsica; ovt btw th ct wodad th xt o is a att o os abiit to act.
Th pactica aagts o sacs fctd ad i-
ocd this dic i agc btw ivig ad dad. Whi sitts
joid hads aod th tab, both as a as agaist pottia
ad ad as a as o iig th as a phsica ad otioa
coctd who, ghost hads itd objcts, pad istts,
wakd aod th oo, ad itactd with vaios sitts. Dscibig
a 1860 sac with two o th ox sists, robt Da Ow dw
chaactistic atttio to th agc ths hads pstd:
B qst, thogh th aps, th gas was xtigishd ad w joid hads.
V soo ights w s foat ig abot th oo, appat phosphos-
ct. At st th w sa, jst visib; bt gada th bca ag,
attaiig th siz ad ga oti o hads: . . . whi th hads o th cic
aid joid, I ookd d th tab ad saw [ths] ights, as a as t o
twv tis. (Debatable Land349)
Th hads Ow dscibd appd o tabs ad doo-as,
foatd abot, ad bshd agaist sitts (icdig his) as
qstd; th ig, Ow potd, was ik that o th gt
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670 JennIer BAnn
VICTOrIAn STuDIeS / VOlume 51, nO. 4
toch o a g (351). As sacs icasd thi ocs o visa
spctacs ov th xt w dcads, sch hads bca v o
activ, cassig th acs ad hads o sitts ad witig ssags asw as itig ad tochig objcts. Whi sotis attachd to th
atiaizd bod o a ghost, spiit hads cotid to appa i
disbodid o, povidig a ita to o th spiitaist
ovt as a who. Ghost hads pstd ot agc i
its, bt th pow o dath to co it.
The Ghostly Hand as a Trope o Agency in Supernatural Fiction
Th coctio btw spcta hads ad spcta agc
did ot bgi i th itth ct. Hoac Wapos The Castle of
Otranto(1764) povids a patica stikig xap o th ct
bo: a giat, aod had aig to ath pas a cta o i
th aativ ad i its wid cptio, both hadig th dstc-
tio o th potagoists (adt obtaid) obiit ad poitig
towad th sbsqt xposiv popait o th gothic ov.
Wapos ov is ctio, o cos, bt its ptdd stats as a od
ascipt tstis to th gothics big th i btw adittdctio ad ptdd act. As Otrantoad its ik w achig o a
odatio i ait, ith thogh th pts o pacs o th
tdc to st babaic, daistic, ad spata vts i a ti
ad pac i which th cod at th v ast b cosidd o
ik to occ (ost tpica, a Cathoic eop o sva ct-
is bo), pots o th ppotd a spata sodd
icasig ik ctio.
e. J. C discsss th coodicatio o th spata
i th ightth ct as a podct o th gowth o cosisi th piod, bgiig h accot with a dsciptio o th pbicit
sodig th Cock la ghost, a appaitio o 1760s lodo
that sbs th Hdsvi appigs o ight as at i stikig
was. Both vts atd a ghost, coicatig thogh kockig
sods, who caid to hav b a victi o d; both pt a-
tiv og gis at th ct o vts (v-a-od eizabth
Pasos at Cock la, ad v- ad thit-a-od Kat ad
magat ox i Hdsvi); ad both gad assiv aots o
pbicit, cotovs, ad accsatios o ad o th pat o th gis
ad thi aiis, ag ctd aod th acia oppotitis
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GHOSTly HAnDS AnD GHOSTly AGenCy 671
Summer 2009
that aos o gowig pbic itst. Th hos at Cock la
bca o a shot ti th avod sit o vig ttait o
ashioab lodo, with visitos icdig Sa Johso; th twoox sists, aog with thi od sist lah, appad to paig adi-
cs at pbic vs acoss th wid nw yok aa. Whatv th
at cosqcs o th Hdsvi appigs, th, th spcta hads
sd iitia to siga th sa thig th had i Cock la: pot,
pbicit, ad th tasoatio o th spata o spiita
oc to aktab coodit.
I sch coctios ca b ad btw Cock la ad
Hdsvi, is th athig patica Victoia abot th sigi-
cac o spcta hads at a? C sggsts that th tops oda-
tio i spata ctio ight i i th cta iagiatio o
th ightth ct:
Ada Sith st positd th ivisib had as a tapho o th wokigs o a
cooic coscios; th sst achivs its povidtia d o th ga
good o th who thogh th kowig agc o idividas div o b
gd ad s-itst. I Otrantoth ivisib had psts a aissz-ai o
ctioait; i thatic ts a isctab oc agai aipatig ad ti-
at sbodiatig ha agc i th itsts o a oa goa. (66)
Th sa copaiso, phaps, cod b ad to th spcta hads
o so at ctio. Th ghost o th og Cathi eashaw i
Wuthering Heights(1847), gabbig lockwoods had i h ow with
sch oc that h aks h wist acoss bok gass to as it,
bodis th ocit o a ivig, sovd past; th chid-ghost o
eizabth Gasks Th Od nss Sto dos ch th sa, h
itt battig hads po th widow-gass (17) pcdig a g-
so taba that bigs th ct o h svivig ai to ight. As
th gothic pd th ghost aativ bhid it, daggig a piai
igios htoic ito th coodid, cociaizd aa o th
spata, th distac aowd btw ctio ad octio
aativs. Spcta hads s to sv th sa ppos at Hds-
vi ad Cock la as th did i th stois o Gask ad Wapo:
as a as o catig a coht sto b gatig th dad so
cotid coctio to at vts.
Bt whatv th iitia siiaitis btw th Cock la
ghost ad th Hdsvi appigs, spiitaiss apid jo o
oca ciosit to igios ovt t th possibiit o a cotid
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672 JennIer BAnn
VICTOrIAn STuDIeS / VOlume 51, nO. 4
coctio a bhid. Wh th Cock la cas aid ocsd
o th idtit o th ghost ad th vacit o h agatios o
d, th pdd o Hdsvi ss o ik a atthoghtaost o th stat, bshd asid i th wak o a igios agag
o w vatios. Dos this, th, dostat a pc o th
abstact ov th idivida? I wod ag ot, o as Cs sggs-
tios idicat, th spiit hads o ths p-spiitaist aativs a
a thos o idividas i a sbstatia ss. ev wh ths
hads bog to ad ad idtiab chaacts, this is a dis-
bodid, tatxta agc, th manus ex machinao a ovachig
dsi towad od, cohc, ad baac withi th aativ as a
who.
Th spcta hads o spiitais, i cotast, bogd
phatica to idividas, sothig bod p with th spiitaist
phiosoph o th qasi-phsica spiit bod its. Aa Kadc, a
a ad iftia wit who copid spiitaist docti i th
o o a sis o catchis-ik qstios ad asws o patic-
a spctab spiits (a pa which icdd, aog oths, Pato,
St. Agsti, ad Bjai aki), ad this xpicit i The Spirits
Book(1857): th so v oss its idividait, sothig psvdthogh a fid pcia to its . . . which psts th appaac
o its ast icaatio (63). Idividait as cocivd i ts o a
spiita phsicait waats th cidatio:
I sos w bdd togth ito a ass, th wod possss o th qaitis
coo to th totait o th ass; th wod b othig to distigish th
o o aoth, ad th wod hav o spcia itcta o oa qaitis
o thi ow. Bt th coicatios w obtai o spiits giv abdat
vidc o th possssio b ach spiit o th cosciosss o th me, ad o a
distict wi, psoa to his. . . . Th idividait o th so has b taght
thotica, as a atic o aith; spiitis ds it patt, as a vidt, ad,
so to sa, a materialact. (64, phasis oigia)
not a o th idas Kadc advocatd gaid pchas withi th
ovt (his avod t spiitis, o xap, was a sd
b oth wits), bt this picip aid data thoghot
th itth ct ad ito th twtith. B 1918, Ath Coa
Do was agig ch th sa poit:
A w to b wisps o gasos happiss foatig abot i th ai? . . . i th
is o bod ik o ow, ad i th is o chaact ik o ow, th sa what
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GHOSTly HAnDS AnD GHOSTly AGenCy 673
Summer 2009
o wi , wehav bco xtict. What is it to a oth i so ipsoa goi-
d tit is show to h? Sh wi sa, that is ot th so I ostI wat his ow
hai, his qick si, his itt oods that I kow so w. That is what sh wats;that, I biv, is what sh wi hav; bt sh wi ot hav th b a sst which
cts s awa o a that ids s o att ad taks s to a vag gio o
foatig otios. (105, phasis oigia)
Th ghosts o spiitais w o og th dad, tha itatios
o a tp whos actios ad otivatios w dtid b thi
taphsica stats. Th w as vaid ad as pschoogica copx
as th had b i i, thi abiit to act withi a phsica sph
vidc o both thi idividait ad thi ibatio o thstictios o otait.
Beckoning toward the Future:
Spiritualist Infuences on the Post-1850s Ghost Story
Th cospodig shit i covtios withi spata
itat is xpicit ogodd i so ghost stois, sch as
Chaott ridds Od ms. Jos (1882). H, ghost hads idi-
cat a w dictio, cotastig th spiitaist-ifcd cocp-tio o what ghosts cod pst with ai ad o iitd
spcts. rativ obsc toda, ridd was a iftia g i
Bitish spata ctio o th id-itth ct, stab-
ishig h ptatio with th 1867 sto Bashs Waig (sbs-
qt pbishd as Htod ODos Waig) ad two
sbsqt ovas which od th rotdg Chistas aas
o 1873 ad 1875. H ghost stois cobid vaios shads o spc-
ta to with th ocs o pacticaitis o wok ad ac that
ak h o-spata wok, ad th ba, cotpoa
sttigs ths ipid ad o a as jxtapositio o acit ad
od idas abot ghosts. Bashs Waig, o xap,
cobis th ch ai covtio o a ghost-as-dath-o with a
dg o pschoogica dpth tpica o at spata ctio; th
bashs sca o abatd gi ifcs ivig chaacts o a
paa otioa v: sch a wai o pai, ad ago, ad distss,
as casd th [ists] bood to cd (144). Od ms. Jos,
howv, icopoats this cotast dict ito th stos aativstct, paig chaacts xpctatios o o tp o ghost agaist
th ait o aoth.
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674 JennIer BAnn
VICTOrIAn STuDIeS / VOlume 51, nO. 4
Th stos pot is ativ sip: th poos ms. Jos,
a doctos wi who disappad i sspicios cicstacs, hats
th hos wh ocas biv h bod to b bid. Th stos twistis ot i its ath pdictab cocsio, as th discov o Od
ms. Joss bod povs h dath at h hsbads hads, o i th
appaac o h ghost, dscibd i dtai thoghot th aativ.
Istad, h ighbos assptios abot h aso o hatig th
hos sh occpid i i a chagd ad a discadd i th
ac o a ghost with a o agc ad otioa copxit tha
th pvios iagid. Spcatios abot ms. Joss bod big
hidd i th hos h ghost hats co o a p-Victoia
dstadig o iitd, ativ powss ghosts who appa to
th ivig bcas thi icopt bias o sovd cic-
stacs pvt th o ascdig to th ati; thi ghosts
hat th pacs wh thi bodis i, coctd to th fsh sic
th a ab to bac th spiit. Od ms. Jos, dd
ad bid, ts th tp w, ad h ighbos wco its xpa-
ato pow. H wodt giv h th chac o Chistia bia,
o stats o h hsbad; shs ig hidd awa i so dak
co; o wod th cat cat st th (187).Th absc o pow, v to xpai o attpt to sov th
ghosts ow sitatio, is ikd dict to this cocpt o ghost appa-
ac, as aoth ighbo fcts that shs i that hos sowh,
ight ogh, ad i sh cod spak sh wod sa so (187). ev thi
dsciptios o h s, d with hg ad i-tatt (187)
ip a passiv, soow sigatio, o daatica opposd to th
activ aicios g dscibd b th chid ivig i th hos: to
th, h s a c ad dak, ad h hads ik caws goig to
ak a ctch at [th] (184). Chid a h pstd as tiigoat o ghosts ad ghost covtio; b pstig thi dscip-
tios o Od ms. Jos bo thos o h ighbos, th aativ pivi-
gs th diatd ait o th ghost abov th as ipssios o
th ivig. rads, th, a daw towad a o daatic ad activ
od o ghost appaac, a viw vaidatd wh ms. Joss bod is
vad i aoth bidig; h coctio to th hos, th sto
a vas, is titoia, ot cicstatia.
Od ms. Joss caw-ik hads pst ot o a pottia
that, bt th agc which aks it possib. It is this coctio
which iss o oca ta o a visito who t a cod had po h
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GHOSTly HAnDS AnD GHOSTly AGenCy 675
Summer 2009
shod with its patica aic, ad thoghot thi dsciptio,
th chid daw spcia ocs to th ghosts hads to siia ct:
sh ca ad tochd , th ogst dcas, ad h bothas that h saw h go p to e ad a h had po h
(185). episodic ad agta thogh ths appaacs a, th
oshadow th sbstac o th stos dot, i which th
ghost ads a svat to th hidd ocatio o h bod. H, ms.
Joss psc i th aativ ogod bigs with it a chag i
th cotastd agcis o ivig ad dad, as th spata -
dos o th ghost ita ovpow th ha iitatios o th
ivig: Docto Jos wi ca to h bdsid, ad bad h gt p
ad dss, ad opd th doo o th oo, ad th ot doo, ad
bad h wak ti sh was t to dop thogh pacs ad stts sh had
v s bo, ti th ca to th gad gat o St. Jias; sh
passd thogh that ad kpt bckoig h to oow (213). Th
ct is aost hpotic, with th svat oowig i what witsss
ass to b a soabistic tac. Th ghosts bckoig had
sboizs ot a pa, th, bt a coad.
Th pa o xpctatios i ridds sto shaps th aic
o its ghost. Wh th spata ca ith b pdictd odstood b appaig to th ogic o ai aativs, th ghosts
itactios with th ivig bco o dict acig, o og
diatd thogh th t o covtio. Covtio its th
bcos a hatig psc i this sto: withot a cooait o
bi btw chaacts ad ads, catig too gat a distac
btw chaacts thoghts ad ads xpctatios wod av a
aativ otioa hoow, with th ghosts that dissipatd i th
g btw th two. Th ativ at dat o pbicatio ight ths
s a ciosit h, sic w ghosts o th 1880s w icapab ocoicatig with th ivig, ad th pac o os dath a
iposd iits po th ag o os hatig. That th covtio
its was sti xtat, howv, sggsts that th asw is i th wa
i which this at cocpt o spctait was sd. What sch stois
show is ot a ia pogssio o gothic vats to spiitaist
titis, bt ath th adoptio o vaios aspcts o spiitaist ghosts
i a pica ashio.
Th top o th ghost had cs qt thoghot
th 1860s ad 1870s, as th Victoia ghost sto cotid to gai i
popait. As Od ms. Jos idicats, a phasis o ghost
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676 JennIer BAnn
VICTOrIAn STuDIeS / VOlume 51, nO. 4
hads ds its w to viot, thatig ghosts. I H Jass
st pic o spata ctio, Th roac o Ctai Od
Coths (1867), o sists d b h spcta iva is idicatd bth aks o t hidos wods o two vg ghost hads
po h thoat (220). Th at bt aistocatic-ookig appaitio i
o aativ o Josph Shida l as The House by the Church-
Yard(1863, at pbishd i its ow ight as Th naativ o th
Ghost o a Had) is ot disbodid, as th tit ight sggst, bt
istad bogs to a g that is v s, as i th ghosts appa-
ac ads ito isigicac bsid what it ca do. Wh this had
caws ito th potagoists aita bd, sds his wi ito a dath-
ik tac, ad tis to socat his iat so, th capacit o ghost
pow to ifc ad dispt th ivs o th ivig is ad both
idiat ad daatic.
not a sch ghosts, howv, w thatig i th stictst
ss o th t. I Aa Hots Th Ghost o litt Jacqs (1863),
th ghost o a chid appas i od to va vidc o d:
Jacqs was kid b his ath. Wh th aato ais to dstad
this o th ghosts st appaac, ad is hs sbsqt pacd
i dag at th sa as hads, Jacqs appas, copig hisath to dik a dos o his ow poiso. Th ghost ith has o
thats th aato, athogh it xts cosidab oc ov h
i ch th sa wa as ridds Od ms. Jos: Th itt phato
had ais, its si g was otsttchd,it bckod, sow bck-
od; gowig idistict, it cdd ath ad ath ot o th
saoo towads th shop. Th asciatio o a sp was po . I
td ad oowd th tatig g (21617).
Whi w a spath o Jacqs oc his sto is
kow, it is ipotat to ot that his ghost appas ith v-ab o victiizd, as ch i coto o vts as h is ov his it-
actios with th aato. Th coctios a vidt with ai
spata ctio ad its ghosts, who ctiod as aativ dvics
to sto od ad jstic ath tha as idividas. nothss, a
copaiso with th 1840s chid-ghosts o Gask ad Bot idi-
cats so dvopt: Jacqs is activ wh th w passiv,
cta wh th w tagtia. Athogh th ghost a ack so
o th xbac ad disobdic th ivig chid was said to possss,
th pow dath gats hi aows hi to tai his idividait i a
wa his pdcssos cod ot.
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GHOSTly HAnDS AnD GHOSTly AGenCy 677
Summer 2009
I Bitai ad Aica, th ghost stois o th 1850s ad
1860s atd a ag b o sch pow ghosts. As with th
tasatatic cooaitis o th spiitaist ovt, th daicso discssio ad txta podctio withi th g ak this s-
pisig; ax copight gatios d to a ag b o Bitish (ad
Iish) ghost stois big podcd i Aica piodicas. th,
oc th spiitaist-ifcd cocptio o th ghost i ctio
had dispacd th gothic covtios to a poit wh iitd ad
gic ghosts sd od-ashiod ad itstig, pbic dad
pssd o od stois dd b a shad cta psptio
that ghosts wod act dit. Whi th w dics btw
Aica ad Bitish ghost stois, jst as btw Aica ad
Bitish spiitais, sch dics a xtdd to th potaa
o th ghosts thsvs. O both sids o th Atatic, ths ghosts
o cos sbd th spiitaist cocptio tha th gothic.
Tak, o xap, ma eizabth Baddos Th Cod
ebac (1860), which pacs th iss o th ghosts pow sqa
withi a o acd pschoogica awok b cotastig a
powss ota i with th gat possibiitis o a spcta o.
o Gtd, th stos potagoist, i is a sqc o didoppotitis ad gatd agc; abadod b h ov ad ocd
ito a watd aiag b h ath, sh acks a abiit to act
th wod aod h thogh wods, dds, o thoghts. ev h
otios xist i a stifig vac, icitig ith spos o ac-
tio o oths: how a tis sh hops, o to b disappoitd!
(7071). acd with th ait o a aagd aiag, abpt
dig a fickig da o agc wh h abst ov ais to
t i ti to sav h, Gtd chooss dath ov i i th o
activ choic w s h ak. Sh dows hs o what is, ioi-ca, th da bo h abst ov ts, havig og sic
ogott th gi h poisd to a. Dath tasos passivit to
actio, as Gtds ov ds his hatd b th costat, is-
capab ssatio o h as aod his ck. I th stos coc-
sio, ghost ds ivig a i a wa that cotasts h dais i
dath with th itia that akd h i, h ivisib bt oc
o dacig hi to xhastio ad coaps at a ba. Th cod
bac o th stos tit is o possssiv tha actioat, th
phsica oct o a otioa cai; th ov kpt pa-
t bod Gtds ach i i is ita hd withi it i dath.
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678 JennIer BAnn
VICTOrIAn STuDIeS / VOlume 51, nO. 4
Ctai, th aativ potas Gtd as a thatig ghost with
th abiit to ovpow ad tiat dsto th ivig, bt this oc
is ith idisciiat o, th aato sggsts, jstid;Gtd dos ot act as o o th idistigishab ad itchag-
ab dad, bt as a idivida with th sa dsis sh had i i.
As this kid o pschoogica copxit bca th gs
stadad, vaios kids o ghost stois capitaizd po ths w possi-
biitis. Chid-ghosts had, b th d o th ct, bco th pov-
ac o th stita ghost stois o (ag Aica) wits sch
as Ai Tb Sosso o ma e. Wikis a. as
ghost stois i patica, which spa th ast two dcads o th i-
tth ct ad th st two o th twtith, a stddd with sch
xaps, as tpid ost ca i Th litt Ghost (1903). lik
Hots Jacqs, th chid at th ct o this sto is a victi o pata
ct ad gct, ocd ito a i o dostic ddg b a oth
who at abados h to z to dath i a pt hos. Th chids
appaac as a ghost is sitab piti, ad h hads idicat ot what
sh cando bt what sh s sh mustdo: two itt hads spottd pp
with th cod, hodig p [th aatos] wit coat (217). H s-
ig dss sach o otioa ad phsica wath is giv adddpathos b h chidish activitis, sch as paig with th hoshod cat.
Jst as th aato ss th ghost appa gada, with th chid
s[ig] to ca ot o th diss bhid th had (223), so th
chaact o a ghost chid vta gs o th iitia visio
o ghost actio. Th sto ds with a taba o otioa sotio
at th od woa ost voca spathtic o th ghost chid dis,
ad is s i ghost o wakig awa o th hos with th chid
hodig ast to h had (23637).
Th aatos iitia ight xists o to b ovco, is-tatig th agiit ad vabiit o th ghost b pacig a with
pit. [Sh had] a dad itt ac, with sothig abot it which
ad it dit o a ac o ath, bt it was so piti that it did
awa a good da with th dadss, th aato xpais (214);
idd, v th cat is aaid o h, pig as sh stoks his back.
o Abb Bid, who bcos th chids sbstitt oth at th stos
d, th ghosts appa to stit ti otwighs a capacit to
ti. Whi th ghosts phsica appaac sggsts sothig o h
hoiig dathsh is ti, zig, ad dap, h stavd bod
ottd b with th cod thogh h ightgow (215)th ct is
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GHOSTly HAnDS AnD GHOSTly AGenCy 679
Summer 2009
ot acab, as th icogit o th ghosts appaac is ot sitatd
btw i ad dath bt btw wath ad cod, sat ad gct.
It is, i act, th chids og whit ightgow that bcos th stogstidicato o h othwodiss. Sh did ot s to o wak ik
oth chid, th aato xpais; sh fittd, ik o o thos itt
whit bttfis, that dot s ik a os th a so ight,
ad ov as i th had o wight (215).
I Pt nws 1903 istatio o th ghost hodig th
aatos coat (g. 1), th ghosts p whit gow ss aost to
gow with its ow ight, th bightst thig i th pict. Th ghost
stads btw two doo-as, sodd b th shadows th cast
ad b th dak patt o th g bath h. Th aatos cothig
is dak, too, h ac td ito th shadows as th ghosts is ii-
atd b a s soc o ight. Th ghosts ightgow bshs th
foo, hidig h t as sh appas to foat ath tha stad, ad
cotastig stak with th hg, dak, ad cbso coat sh
hods cos to h bod. Positiod as sch, th ghost ss aost to
b gig o th coat ad o th phsica, bodi ass it p-
sts; h hads cigig to its coa, hawa btw pig it cos
ad pshig it awa, istat th coctio sh aitais with aath i. What nw sggsts, th sto tiat cos,
showig th vota svitd o th chids bhavio at dath as a
iic o i, ad phasizig th ightss ad do o h
ovt o at h ost tha. Abb Bids wish to gt that aw
itt whit ob o that chid ad gt h i so coths (235) is
h ad as isgidd, a wish to big th chid back ito th
cos o i, ad it is itt spis that at th stos cos, th
cootig bac btw woa ad chid happs o at th
o has joid th att i dath.Th sb-g o qstioab a ghosts ad o ta-
phoica hatigs bst kow as th pschoogica ghost sto, a o
which dvopd i th ast two dcads o th ct, cotastd
ivig ad dad i ch th sa wa. Tak, o xap, Vo ls
Ok o Okhst, st pbishd as A Phato lov i 1886. Th
aato, hid b th poos m. Ok to pait his wis potait,
gada discovs that ms. Oks obsssio with a dos
acsto xtds to a stag assptio o h idtit. Th aato
ss gipss o a g that a, phaps, b th acsto hs, bt
th a ghost h is ms. Ok, iickig h pdcsso to a dg
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680 JennIer BAnn
VICTOrIAn STuDIeS / VOlume 51, nO. 4
Fig. 1. Pt nws istatio o Th litt Ghost, b ma e. Wikis a. I
The Wind in the Rose-Bush and Other Stories. lodo: Joh ma, 1903. acig p.214.
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GHOSTly HAnDS AnD GHOSTly AGenCy 681
Summer 2009
that ca o b xpssd i spata ts: possssio, ica-
atio, hatig. Th sggstios o a spata psc i th
sto s i this ight to b a xtapoatio o ms. Oks xatio, asth oc o h chaact shaps ot o th objctiv wod aod
h bt aso th aativ its. Whth h dight i th acstos
isdaos is vicaios o bd, th stos ghosts a o
iagid, w a t agai with th shap o spcta agc i th
o o ms. Oks hads. H coctio to h acsto is dpictd
as a a, phsica o, iitiatd at wi; w do ot a that th hoss
iba hods th books ad bogigs o th acstos ov ti h
dscdat its th dow to show th aato, tochig th ow
paps with dicat ad vt gs (145). Idd, th aatos
adissio o h dibat aipatio cos with a accptac o
his iabiit to ifc o act h i a wa: that woa wod
sip thogh gs ik a sak i I attptd to gasp h siv
chaact (181). Pow, agc, ad tiat th sto its bog
to th igatica spcta o o th ivig woa.
Howv dissiia th stois o a ad l, it is otab
that ghost pow i both cass is potad sowhat ss daatica
tha i th ai ctio discssd abov. Th chid i as stodos ot phsica o pschoogica ovpow a o th ivig, ad
th is itt sggstio that sh is v capab o doig so; th tasi-
tio o hoo to spath i thos aod h is pstd as ti
ha. What dath bigs o this ghost is phaps btt dstood as
do tha pow, a o acd dstadig o agc fc-
tiv o th spiitaist ida o th bod as a piso ad ota i as a
stc. ms. Ok coscios adopts th sa kid o do b
coctig hs to a ghost acsto, ivig ot xcitig atasis
thogh a hatig sh gad wcos. It is sigicat that ths aat stois. Whi th picip o spcta do ctai da
a spiitais ad sac pao-ticks, it bca a a o sigi-
cat t o th ovt i at dcads, as th 1870s saw th
itodctio o -o atiaizatios, visib ghost gs with
which sitts cod itact. Spiitaiss associatio with socia
pogssiv ovts bga og bo this: th spiit-sactiod
advic o idivida ad socia codct that od a sigicat pat o
a Aica spiitais d to th stabisht o th ovts
st Bitish stoghods i th wokig-cass coitis o oth
egad. Bt it was th advt o -o atiaizatios that boght
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682 JennIer BAnn
VICTOrIAn STuDIeS / VOlume 51, nO. 4
this associatio to sch poic. Ths ghosts a thatd o
ovpowd sitts,5 bt thi v psc dostatd a do
o both ota iitatios ad socia stictios, two baispotad as havig a ctai aot o ovap.
As citica itat o spiitais has ovd awa o
ga ovviws o th ovt ad towad a o i-dpth xai-
atio o its dig thatic cocs ad pschoog, sva
schoas hav daw atttio to th coctios btw -o
atiaizatios ad socia pogssiv idas. Patica, th sac-
oo has b thoizd as a aa o th sspsio o socia os
ad assptio o pow b thos who wod othwis b withot it.
Spiitais ad socia vioatios o a kids possib bcas it
bd th bodais btw th spiita ad atia, ma
Top ags; dig sacs, og a ghosts appad i obs
which t as, gs, ad cks ba, kissd ad cassd sitts both
a ad a, ad ivitd sitts to stabish th ait o thi at-
iaizd os b aig thi hads po th (68). A Bad
choics th vaios was i which wo dstood ad dvopd
thi o as spiitaist dis i ts o th wod aod th,
ad th sbsqt atioship btw spiitais ad o ai-sta isss o a acipatio ad wos ights; Ax Ow
aks ths coctios v o xpicit b viwig th o o th
di as a xaggatio o Victoia idas o iiit, ths givig
wo pow thogh th sbac o passivit.
o th att cocpt i patica, th spiitaist ida o
ghost agc povidd a stikig dostatio: i spiitaist
thoght, th psc o th atiaizd ghost qid th qasi-
absc o th di, sothig sa achivd b a cobiatio
o cosciosss, ova o th sitts d o visio, ad phs-ica stictio (dis w tpica cod to a dakd co-
s ad bod to avoid accsatios o ad). Th ot stikig
phsica sbacs btw ths dis ad th ghosts th
boght oth did ot go oticd b spiitaists o thi dtactos,
bt as cotpoa citica discssio o th sbjct has boadd
bod th sbjct o ad, th cotast btw activ ghost ad
passiv ota has povd ti god o discssio. Th spiit-
aist cocpt o spctait aowd thos ivovd i th ovt to
adopt th kid o do ad agc that thi phiosoph gatd
to th dad. Howv fippat it a hav sd, fitatios ghost
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GHOSTly HAnDS AnD GHOSTly AGenCy 683
Summer 2009
bhavio i sacs was th cotpat o spiitaiss associatio
with poitica ad socia adica ovts, as ad ovt b spii-
taists thsvs both i pit ad i pso, with iabpaphts, piodicas, ad ct tos pstig spiit-gidd
viws o th oa dictio o haits t.
Athogh spiitaist idas o dath ad spctait w
dict coctd to its cta ad poitica oc, I wod ot ag
that th ita ghost sto which adoptd ths idas shod ikwis
b viwd as adica, sbvsiv, o v pogssiv i a ovachig
ss. Idd, th ghost sto ot as as ch towad th cos-
vativ with gad to cass ad gd as it dos towad th oaic
i ts o its pots. Whi th citica wok do sic th 1980s o
th ghost stos o i povidig a voic o th othwis cta
sicd ais itigig, th cocsios daw o a patica
sbst o stoistpica, thos witt b Aica wo i th
ast as o th itth ct ad st as o th twtith
caot b sip xtapoatd to cov th g as a who. As sch, I
do ot sggst that spiitaist phiosoph shod b icopoatd ito
citica discssio o th ghost sto as a att o atchig
ik to ik i its cosqcs; ath, that th wath o possibiitispovidd b ghosts capab o actig as agts i thi ow ight ivits
a a boad xaiatio o th o.
Is th a ss i which this tatt o th spata, a
sitaos dosticatio ad vatio o th ghost, bogd to
th itth ct i th sa wa that gothic hoo bogd to
th ightth? Cod th itodctio o ghosts as chaacts, ath
tha as pot dvics ad ovig sc, hav t its to th shot-
sto o w ogh to xpai th xposiv popait i sp-
ata ctio oc th piodica pss bca its ai thod odissiatio? W ight gss that th ghost stos tasoatio
ito a o pschoogica acd o wod hav co abot
vta withot th xistc o spiitais, bt withot spiit-
ais povidig a spigboad i that dictio, it is dict to iagi
what shap th stig g wod hav tak. I w a to giv th
daic ad copx wod o th Victoia spata iagia-
tio its d, it ss o ttig that w av Jacob ma wigig
his hads icta bo Scoogs pac, ad ook to wh
spiitaiss had is poitig.
University of Glasgow
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684 JennIer BAnn
VICTOrIAn STuDIeS / VOlume 51, nO. 4
NOTES
1A sa b o ghost stois s spiitais as a soc o th spat-
a, bt ths tpica appa at th d o th itth ct ad coicid with
spiitaiss sig dci i popait.2Th cai h is, as with ost asstios gadig sch a boad ad ao-
phos ovt as spiitais, sothig o a gaizatio. Spiitaist itat
did occasioa tio th possibiit o spiits who had v xpicd ota
i. Sch gs s to hav b a iqt ad xcptioa pat o spiitaist
bi, howv, as th ga spiitaist tdc to s spiits, ags, ad th
dad as itchagab ts idicats.3So spiitaist vsios o th Bib w podcd, th bst-kow big
load Thos 1862 The New Testament of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, as Revised
and Corrected by the Spirits, bt ths s to hav civd itt tio i oth spii-
taist itat. Thitactio btw spiitais ad Chistiait was a copx
o, covd o cophsiv swh (s Opphi), ad it ss ik
that th ga spiitaist sistac to a o o caoica txt o ho wit aos i
ag pat d to this ogoig dbat withi th ovt.4o th sak o cait, I hav povidd a goss; accots a ath tagd o this
iss, as Aa Kadc, o xap, s sitaos to th so ad th spiit
whi dscibig th tha o as th pispiit (Spirits Book36). Howv, th tipa-
tit divisio, so/spiit/bod, ss to hav bco th ost coo spiitaist phios-
oph b th ti otd spiitaist robt Da Ow was witig i th 1860s.5Whi itactios btw spiitaist ghosts ad sitts w tpica bv-
ot, occasioa sac aativs va a o thatig sid to th pow iba-
ac. Tak this xchag btw th di oc Cook ad h spiit gid
Kati Kig, o xap, as codd b Wiia Cooks i 1873:
Kati had so spiit dap i h had, which sh bbd dow ov th
di to coct so o th ifc sd b spiits i atiaizatio. . . .
Miss CookGo awa, Kati; I dot ik to b scapd.
KatieDot b stpid. Tak that thig o o had ad ook at . (Scrape,
scrape.)
Miss CookI wot sit sti o ths aistatios. I dot ik th. Go awa.
Katieyo a o di, ad a di is othig bt a achi. (Scrape,
scrape.)
(qtd. i Sagt 5051)
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