The Supernatural, Poe and Irving
In life there is the natural and the supernatural. Often the supernatural in life is easily forgotten or derided. Life becomes too busy and one forgets that there exists good and evil. One should not spurn the urging in the Bible to remember that "we are not fighting against people made of flesh and blood, but against persons without bodies - the evil rulers of the unseen world, those mighty satanic beings and great evil princes of darkness who rule this world; and against huge members of wicked spirits in the spirit world" (Bible 1194). Neither should one carry their fascination of the supernatural to an obsession. The supernatural good and evil in life plays and role in determining the course ones life will take. This paper will compare and contrast the fascination with the supernatural in Irving and Poe's writings and will tell the effect each author tries to achieve. In Irving's "The Devil and Tom Walker", he gives the devil human qualities and describes him as "a great black man seated directly opposite him, on the stump of a tree. He was exceedingly surprised, having neither heard nor seen anyone approach; and he was still more perplexed on observing, as well as the gathering gloom
In conclusion, Irving and Poe's fascination with the supernatural is very evident and plays a vital role in their writings. Irving's fascination makes the supernatural appear good in some ways and execrable in others. Whereas, Poe's fascination is on the dark and oppressive side of the supernatural. Irving and Poe both convey their fascination of the supernatural but in different ways. Through their writings we see that the supernatural does play an important role in human lives. Whether one wants to admit that or deny it. Irving and Poe's ideas of the supernatural vary in their writings, but it is evident that both agree that the supernatural plays a role in the human life. Although both authors have a fascination with the supernatural they perceive it in different ways. Irving sees evil as "a great black man" (Irving 106). He also sees it as something that can make a business deal and can "haggle about the terms on which the former was to have the pirate's treasure. There was one condition understood in all cases where the Devil grants favors; but there were others about which, though of less importance, he was inflexibly obstinate" (Irving 110). In contrast Poe sees the supernatural as a "stately Raven" (Poe 128). He also sees it as something that cannot be controlled or made to do what one wants it to do. "From the thunder, and the storm- and the cloud that took the form (When the rest of Heaven was blue) of a demon in my would permit, that the stranger was neither Negro nor Indian. It is true he was dressed in a rude half-Indian garb, and had a red belt or sash swathed round his body; but his face was neither black nor copper color, but swarthy and dingy, and begrimed with soot, as if he had been accustomed to toil among fires and forges. He had a shock of coarse black hair that stood out from his head in all directions, and bore an ax on his shoulder. He scowled for a moment at Tom with a pair of great red eyes" (Irving 106, 107). He also
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Approximate Word count = 1336
Approximate Pages = 5 (250 words per page double spaced)
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