A Long History
Rise of Spiritualism
Industrial Revolution
Industrialism and Ghosts
Post-bellum America
Supernatural and Hope
Supernatural Restores Faith
Ghosts Build Communities
Comfort to Bereaved
Why the Supernatural was Entertaining
Transcending the Real
Ghosts and Mystery
Ghosts and Thrills
Entertainers Cash In
Laughing at Ghosts
Anthony Hopper
Why Were Americans Interested in the Supernatural?
The Supernatural as a Means for Restoring Lost Faith (con.)
Ghost
stories from the period infused the spiritual world with a set of moral
values which contradicted those of materialist ideologies like Social
Darwinism. William Douglas’ 1867 novel revolved around the attempts
by an apparition to convince his still living friend, a wealthy doctor
and landlord, to open a heart hardened by years of selfish unconcern for
the plight of those in need (8).
The spirit is finally able to get the man to renounce his belief that,
“[e]very man for himself, is a good general rule” (9).
Writers sometimes even imbued dogs and other animals both with immortality
and with a desire to perform selfless deeds. In one such story, a collie
came back as a ghost in order to help save the life of her owner who had
fallen gravely ill (10).
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ghost, supernatural, Spiritualism, antebellum,
medium, materialization,
apparition, gothic, post-bellum, phantom, paranormal, 1800s, 1900s,
Anthony Hopper, literature, growth,
industrialism, needs, psychical, psychic, afterlife, non-material, spirit,
American, United States