of fear is fear of the unknown."1 Therefore, it makes sense that if mortals cannot bear the

darkness, they [should not] not go there. If man dislikes "black night and yawning chasms,"2

then should he not even consider them? Shouldn't man seek out the sunshine, instead? The

remedy is very simple: Avoid the darkness and seek the light. But, no. Mankind would never

submit to this. He will immediately turn to the darkness. Drawn by his own cords of fear and

longing, man will imagine that he is tired of the light and his small, familiar world.3 "No

amount of rationalization... or Freudian analysis" can overcome "the thrill of the chimney-corner

whisper or the lonely wood."4 Why? Children will always be afraid of the dark and men will

always shudder at what they do not understand, yet everyone will continue to seek it.5 Perhaps it

is because society, particularly American society because of its history, believes the final horrors

are ghosts and demons, when truly it is the hidden aspects of its own soul.6 As reflected by its

literature, American society has always held a deep fascination with the supernatural. Evidence

spirit.64 Another restless spirit on horseback appears in Irving's The Legend of Sleepy Hollow.

The early- to mid-twentieth century American fiction is sparsely populated with mystery

best, Poe's works are vehicles for "exploring the hidden hinterland of the human mind."80

Steinbeck, John , The Grapes of Wrath, New York: Penguin Books USA Inc., 1992.

evidence.8 In Detroit, "ghost-busting is back big time," with "at least five 'ghost hunting' clubs"

"the area of the unknown [is] steadily contracting,"54 but "it has always existed, and it will

Jim Casy, who is seen by Ma and the other women as a kind of messiah. Their strange

Body Thief, and Memnoch the Devil.25 His fans, including Rice herself, are deeply fascinated by

unnatural.81 Crane's brand of naturalism makes his novel ghostly. As the protagonist of the

Betty, and niece, Abigail, dancing and "conjuring up spirits"34 with his slave girl, Tituba, "the

vain attempt to explain what befell them, the Puritans built up "such personifications [and]

of dreaming" aids in building up "the notion of an unreal or spiritual world,"89 and that is

Dimmesdale. She is discovered and forced to wear a mark of shame, the scarlet letter A, on her

Some common words found in the essay are:
, Mark Twain, Henry Fleming, Hester Prynne, Cook Richards, Rev Hale, Vampire Chronicles, Southern Michigan, Tom Walker, Memnoch Devil25, internet available, on-line internet available, on-line internet, babusci roger ed, american experience englewood, roger ed, ed american, american experience, experience englewood, ed american experience, englewood cliffs, experience englewood cliffs, tom walker, cliffs jersey, jersey 1989,
Approximate Word count = 3286
Approximate Pages = 13 (250 words per page double spaced)