Introduction
Authors have different ways of making their stories fascinating and educative. The techniques used can help writers to convey their message to the audience with ease. The use of the supernatural approach is a common practice that allows individuals to create a story’s mood. The method is also essential since it develops the dramatic effect of a tale. “The Yellow Wallpaper” by Charlotte Perkins Gilman and Ambrose Bierce’s “An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge” have utilized supernatural experiences. The audience can analyze how both authors have used the method to create themes in their stories.
Supernatural Forces in “The Yellow Wallpaper”
Supernatural elements are utilized in the tale by Gilman to ensure that readers enjoy his works. The story is exciting and focuses on various issues that are experienced in the community. For instance, gender inequality is one of the major problems in the contemporary world. Consequently, the story addresses the challenges that many females encounter in their daily lives. For instance, the narrator states, “John does not know how much I really suffer, he knows there is no reason to suffer, and that satisfies him” (Gilman 649). Additionally, the supernatural in early gothic literature has been utilized to control feminine characters within the novels (Finley 1). The narrator in “The Yellow Wallpaper” lives in a colonial mansion with her husband, John. However, as the story progresses, the woman experiences challenges and signs of her loss of composure.
The narrator discusses the house in terms of being haunted and run down. Thus, readers can learn that there are supernatural elements that are used in the story. Moreover, Gilman has used ghosts as one of the supernatural forces to create the mood of the story and the theme of mental illnesses. In this case, the gothic horror style enables the audience to learn how the narrator’s mental health progressively declines. Although John is a physician, he does not believe that his wife is sick. The narrator states, “but this is dead paper and a great relief to my mind, perhaps that is one reason I do not get well faster, you see he does not believe I am sick” (Gilman 647). Therefore, readers can learn that supernatural forces are utilized to show the theme of mental illness among women.
Supernatural elements have also been practiced to develop the theme of gender roles and domestic life. Gilman shows how the structure of sexual measures impacts the communication of John and his wife. The narrator states, “John laughs at me, of course, but one expects that in marriage” (Gilman 647). The belief that the house is being haunted has also led to John believing that his wife is fragile, emotional, and self-indulgent. Consequently, the supernatural component ensures that the audience can learn the concept of domestic life and how women experience difficulties in marriage. Gilman uses the figure of a woman stuck behind the yellow wallpaper as a symbol to show how the reporter feels trapped in her role in the family.
Supernatural Elements in “An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge”
“An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge” has supernatural experiences that Bierce has utilized to develop themes that the audience can understand. The idea of life and death is one of the major concepts in this fictional tale. The concept has largely been developed using supernatural elements. For instance, the story primarily takes place in the instant of Farquhar’s death. Supernatural is practiced where Farquhar watches a piece of driftwood floating below him.
Additionally, Bierce has utilized the technique where the rope snaps taut, and the signs of Farquhar’s death become more directly intrusive. Readers can also learn that other planes of reality exist by focusing on Farquhar’s journey through the woods. The narrator states, “Farquhar observed that it was a gray eye and remembered having read that gray eyes were keenest, in that all famous marksmen had them, but this one had missed” (Bierce 3). Thus, the supernatural element has mostly been used in the narrative to develop the theme of life and death.
Bierce has also developed the theme of perception and reality in the story using supernatural components. Before his death, Farquhar believes that he is escaping from his union captors. The paranormal idea has been utilized in this case, whereby the rope intended to hang Farquhar breaks. Farquhar ensures that he takes a desperate journey home to save his life. Nonetheless, the truth hits him since the trip is surreal and full of trials.
Bierce ensures that readers can learn that the experience of reality is a construct of the human mind. In this case, many individuals do not always trust what they see regardless of how real it feels. For instance, the environment becomes less certain the further Farquhar goes, whereby there is a point in the wilderness where the black bodies of the trees formed a straight wall on both sides (Bierce 3). This is one aspect of supernatural practice that has led to the development of perception and reality. The conclusion of the story is another part that entails a supernatural element. The narrator concludes, “Farquhar was dead, his body, with a broken neck, swung gently from side to side beneath the timbers of the Owl Creek bridge” (Bierce 3). Thus, the ending of the narrative can also create emotions on the reader.
Conclusion
Both authors have utilized supernatural forces to develop the themes in the tales. The concepts enable the audience to understand the moral of the stories with ease. Additionally, moods have been created in the narratives using the supernatural technique. For instance, Gilman’s story creates emotions in the audience when focusing on the narrator’s challenges. Bierce has also generated themes by focusing on the problems faced by Farquhar in different surrounding worlds. In essence, the supernatural concept has helped the authors create a paranormal effect and a mystical experience.
Works Cited
Bierce, Ambrose. An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge. Project Gutenberg, 2008. Web.
Finley, Aurora. Female Power and the Supernatural in Early Gothic Literature. University of California, 2018. Web.
Gilman, Charlotte. The YellowWallpaper. Gothic Digital Library @ UFSC, 1892. Web.