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The Haunted Man and the Ghost's Bargain
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The Haunted Man and the Ghost's Bargain (hosted by Petra)
Haunted by John Tenniel, 1848
Redlaw and the Phantom by John Leech, 1948
The Haunted Man by Henry Furniss, 1910
The Haunted Man by Charles Green, 1912
Figure with the Tray by Charles Green, 1912
Petra wrote: "Chapter 1 - The Gift Bestowed:
Everyone said the man looked like haunted.
The physical aspects of the man are described. Hollow cheeked, sunken eyes, grim, grizzled & tangled hair.
The man..."
Hi Petra
Yes, the word ‘solitary’ is an important one and I’m glad to see it highlighted. The man is, in some ways, already a physical spectre. Surrounded by the trappings of education and knowledge he still remains alone.
Isn’t the initial setting grand? I feel the emptiness. A grand beginning.
Summary Two
The coming night, the growing shadows - I don’t think anyone can set such a mood beside Dickens. It was mentioned above what it might have been like to hear this story read as people sat around their fireplace. Wow! That would be quite the experience.
Petra wrote: ""....but rumbling and grumbling till they were stifled in the heavy air of the forgotten Crypt where the Norman arches were half-buried in the earth."Parts of Norman London can still be seen. Th..."
Summary One:
This image of the pillars is very helpful to me. I read that phrase a few times, trying to picture it in my head and I was having a hard time.
I love that you included the illustration of the sun dial. It and the unmelted snow around it was one of my favorite lines of the first reading. I agree with Jean that these passages are intriguing and also soothing. The topic is dark and sad, of a lonely house and a lonely, haunted man, yet Dickens manages to sooth us with the words and it lulled me. Gorgeous.
Summary Two: Wow, the imagery of the twilight everywhere releasing the shadows was magnificent! How they "closed in and gathered like mustering swarms of ghosts", and "withdrew like ebbing waters when it [the fire] sprung into a blaze", and so on... It was so creepy yet beautiful.
Thank you for those comparative illustrations of the Haunted Man, Petra. I think the first, by John Tenniel, is my favorite. It conveys the contemplativeness of the man very well. And the surrounding drawings that frame the man and the spirit add to the scene, making it all the more dark and violent, as if the thoughts in the man's mind are making him struggle?
Peter and Kelly, I agree wholeheartedly with what you both say about the atmospheric mood that Dickens set in the beginning of this story. Only he could make things appear so dark, yet beautiful, too. It's astounding how he does that. Peter, I love how you added that the man appears as a physical spectre. That's a terrific image. I hadn't thought of that description, but you're dead right.
Kelly, I like the drawing of John Tenniel, too, because of the images surrounding the man and phantom. Those line drawings so aptly suggest the internal struggles of the man. .....but, do you also see the angel amongst them? There's a tiny corner of this man's mind that has....what?..... hope, peace, beauty,.....or maybe eternal rest?
This illustration shows, I think, that internal struggle the best.
Kelly, I'm glad the pictures of the Norman arches were helpful to you. I like the idea that maybe and possibly, Dickens walked through these very arches that are pictured and used what he saw for his description in this story.
This image of him is just a figment of my imagination but the arches were there during his lifetime and he may very well have been there.
Thank you, Peter!Peter shared with me that Clarkson Stanfield painted another marine scene of action and tension, called "Fire At Sea" that is very similar in theme as his illustration of "The Lighthouse" for this novella.
Both works of art show action and men in dire straits, looking to save themselves.
Fire at Sea, 1920-1846
The Lighthouse, 1848
Note the dates of the works. Fire At Sea was completed in 1846, just 2 years before The Lighthouse was drawn. Perhaps, when Clarkston Stanfield read the passages by Dickens, he was reminded of fire at sea, and of the need to be saved and the need to help oneself savie oneself.
I am puzzling over the repetitive use of the adverb “when”. It goes on endlessly for pages. ”When" is primarily considered a subordinating conjunction in English grammar, as it introduces a dependent clause that specifies a time frame related to the main clause”. Perhaps I am just tired after a long Christmas Day, but can someone help me see what this repeated used of the word “when” accomplishes? I am finding it rather annoying.
Lee, that's an interesting question. I can't answer it but I hope someone chimes in with a thought.
Summary 3 - The Gift BestowedHe tells Mr. Redlaw, for this is the lone man’s name, that dinner is late because Mrs. William had a terrible time making it to the house because of the horrible wind. He goes on to describe how easily Mrs. William is put off balance by all elements of earth, air, fire, and water. However, take her out of these elements and her character is solid.
Mr. Swidger (that is the young man’ name) then lists the many Swidgers there are in his family tree as he lays out the table. Mr. Redlaw was silent, so Mr. Swidger nudges the table to get his attention before he continues. Mrs. William and himself have no children of their own as there are already too many Swidgers in the world. However, Mrs. William has become the mother of the students that come to the lectures of the teaching foundation that Mr. Redlaw teaches at.
As he heats the plate by the fire, he continues the story by saying that the students drop by and tell “Swidge” (their name for Mrs. William) something or to ask her something. Mr. Swidger states that it’s better to be called a name with liking than to be called a name with dislike. A name is only to know a person. Let the students call her what they will if it alludes to her better qualities and disposition. She is a Swidger by rights.
As he finished this praising of Mrs. William, he brings the heated plate to the table just as Mrs. William enters with a tray and lantern, and followed by an elderly man with long gray hair.
I’ve caught up, and just love this so far, Petra. Thank you especially for Pepper’s Ghost, The Norman arches, and the illustration of Redlaw in his lab--so interesting, the details of a chemistry lab of that time! Reading the descriptions in the second section made me wish all writers spent as much time as Dickens did on walks--how true his details are! And I love the singular way we’re introduced to the Swidger family in the third section.
Absolutely what Peter said earlier: a grand beginning!
Lee wrote: "I am puzzling over the repetitive use of the adverb “when”. It goes on endlessly for pages. ”When" is primarily considered a subordinating conjunction in English grammar, as it introduces a depende..."I can only comment that for me, it works with Dickens’ narrative voice. For example at the beginning of the second section, he says, "You should have seen him ..." Then comes all the phrases starting with when.
Happy end of the year/new year and whatever holidays one celebrates! Petra, nice to see you back and it is a wonderful start to this very gothic beginning of the year's Dickens' Xmas read. All I can add is how very atmospheric this is!
Lee wrote: "I am puzzling over the repetitive use of the adverb “when”. It goes on endlessly for pages. ”When" is primarily considered a subordinating conjunction in English grammar, as it introduces a depende..."Look back to Jean's note on anaphora. There are a number of reasons Dickens may have chosen to use anaphora for this. One would be for dramatic effect and I like the idea that this story was written so that it could be read aloud at night during the holiday. If you recite the words, the repetitive "when," adds dramatic emphasis, it elevates the language a bit and draws the listeners' attention. It harkens back to the classics and Chaucer and Shakespeare which IMO, helps the reader settle into the right mood and state of mind
for a story. It also builds tension in the reader or listener. And let us not forget it would do wonders for tiring the ears of the young ones, thus moving them closer to sleep.
Sam wrote: "Lee wrote: "I am puzzling over the repetitive use of the adverb “when”. It goes on endlessly for pages. ”When" is primarily considered a subordinating conjunction in English grammar, as it introduc..."Sam
Yes. I too believe it to be, as you say, used for dramatic effect. Your observation that its repeated usage works very well when we think that the passage could be spoken is spot on. When this passage is read aloud, with a cadence and a rhythm, it comes alive on the page.
Lee wrote: "Perhaps I am just tired after a long Christmas Day, but can someone help me see what this repeated used of the word “when” accomplishes? I am finding it rather annoying..."Lee, I went back and reread that section.
It gave me the feeling of reflections or happenings going on around him, in the larger World, while he sat and mused in front of the fire. He was locked within himself, outside of anything going on around him, in the larger World, until "when a knock came to his door, in short, as he was sitting so, and roused him".
That's the last "when". He's brought out of himself and back to the real world.
I'm not sure if that's what Dickens meant.
Kathleen wrote: " And I love the singular way we’re introduced to the Swidger family in the third section..."Kathleen, so glad that you've caught up and are enjoying this read so much. Dickens always adds these details that make us ponder. I enjoy how he "hides" tidbits of items that were occurring during his time that we don't immediately pick up on but the readers of his time would have. Things such as Giles Scroogins Ghost and the Norman arches. It's like a bit of a treasure hunt.
I enjoyed the dialogue by Mr. Swidger, too. He's a talkative relief after the silence and brooding of Redlaw.
I did, at first, get somewhat confused at all the name changes. Everyone has names and nicknames. For example, Redlaw has been called "the man", "the chemist", "Redlaw". The words are interchanged at random, as far as I can tell. I'm still looking for a pattern. LOL. I always think that Dickens has a purpose and reason for everything he writes.
Kathleen wrote: " I can only comment that for me, it works with Dickens’ narrative voice. For example at the beginning of the second section, he says, "You should have seen him ..." Then comes all the phrases starting with when..."Good observation, Kathleen.
Perhaps the "whens" tell things that were or might have been.....not the things going on around him, as I thought it might be.
Your observation indicates that things might have been different for Redlaw had he taken another route. That does sound like a Dickens thought pattern. LOL.
Sam wrote: "Happy end of the year/new year and whatever holidays one celebrates! Petra, nice to see you back and it is a wonderful start to this very gothic beginning of the year's Dickens' Xmas read. All I ca..."Thanks, Sam! I've missed being able to participate and am glad to have the time now.
Sam wrote: "And let us not forget it would do wonders for tiring the ears of the young ones, thus moving them closer to sleep...."Sam, I like everything you said in your post but this last bit made me laugh. LOL.
Peter wrote: "Yes. I too believe it to be, as you say, used for dramatic effect. Your observation that its repeated usage works very well when we think that the passage could be spoken is spot on. When this passage is read aloud, with a cadence and a rhythm, it comes alive on the page...."Peter, what fun this group would have if we could sit around a fire together and read this story out loud.
I have just caught up and joined the read. Marvelous stuff so far, Petra!I love the repetition of the Who in the first section and then the When in the next (I'm waiting for a what or a where). In truth, I felt the repeated "when" made the section read like a long connected sentence so that we hardly breathed between the images and the pace it created made for a more anxious feeling. It is particularly significant to me that the images evoked are all ones of fear and danger, even those in the minds of the children
When little readers of story-books, by the firelight, trembled to think of Cassim Baba cut into quarters, hanging in the Robbers’ Cave, or had some small misgivings that the fierce little old woman, with the crutch, who used to start out of the box in the merchant Abudah’s bedroom, might, one of these nights, be found upon the stairs, in the long, cold, dusky journey up to bed.
It felt rather masterful to me and I agree with Sam that it adds to the dramatic effect. Of course, Dickens descriptions are always deft at pulling images from our heads and placing them before our eyes, but the illustrations are another wonderful contribution.
I've just caught up too. Great introduction and summaries, Petra! Thank you. I have had so much fun reading everyone's comments. They are so thorough, there is not much for me to add.I thought I would share a phrase that spoke to me. It's from the first paragraphs:
"his grizzled hair hanging, like tangled sea-weed, about his face, - as if he had been, through his whole life, a lonely mark for the chafing and beating of the great deep of humanity"
The hair as seaweed imagery painted an immediate picture in my head. And the comparison is carried through the next words, where humanity is compared to the sea, and it batters Mr. Redwall in the same way seaweed is tossed about by the ocean deep.
That description of how his life has been made me so sad for him. The sadness balanced out the haunting dark atmosphere, and made Mr. Redwall feel very human to me. Which was important, I think, because as Peter pointed out Mr. Redwall seems like a spectre himself in many ways.
I was going to discuss today's passage with Mr. Swidger's monologue to Redllaw - I loved how he kept interrupting himself with the names of the pieces he was laying down. It was so well done!But the pictures you posted, Petra, got me completely sidetracked. Every single illustration shows Redlaw with a "ghost" Redlaw hovering behind him - it is unmistakable that man and ghost are the same. Is this to imply that Redlaw was haunted by himself? It is so interesting!
Sara and Bridget, it's great that you've both caught up. Thank you for those kind words, too.
Sara, Dickens is such a master at his art. There's no other author that can balance our entire humanity and bring out our best & worst parts, always with an eye for empathy and sympathy.
Bridget, my heart went out to Redlaw when reading the passage " as if he had been, through his whole life, a lonely mark for the chafing and beating of the great deep of humanity". It tells of such deprivation and loss. It really got to me.
Shirley (stampartiste) wrote: "Is this to imply that Redlaw was haunted by himself? It is so interesting ..."We all carry Demons with us and they can haunt us relentlessly. Redlaw is living with his haunting continuously, It is always nearby as soon as the shadows (regrets?) come out.
Nice observation, Shirley!
Summary 4 - The Gift BestowedLike Mr. William, Mrs. William was an fresh, innocent looking person with rosy cheeks. While his hair stood up on his head, her hair was neat and trim, neatly tucked under her cap. While his trousers were hitched up at the ankles, her skirts were orderly. Her bodice was neat, while his coat was not. Who would have the heart to bring grief and fear to such a placid person?
William whispers to his wife that Mr. Redlaw looked lonelier and ghostlier than ever tonight, as they bustle about setting the table with dinner.
Mr. Redlaw notices the old man and asks what he’s carrying. Why it’s Holly for Christmas. Mr. Redlaw muses that another year has passed and caused more memories to be collected, as Milly (Mrs. William) quietly decorates the room with holly, which she takes from the arms of her father-in-law, Philip.
Philip wishes Mr. Redlaw a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. Mr. Redlaw asks if there is such a thing as a merry Christmas. Philip says there is and Mr. Redlaw questions his memory but William says his dad is the best man ever and his memory is crystal clear.
Mr. Redlaw stands from the table and goes to Philip and questions him again about Merry Christmas memories bringing the past to life again. Philip says he’s lived through 87 years of memories.
He recalls walking with his mother who’s face he can’t recall because she got ill and died the year of his memory, and feeding winter birds. He loved the winter birds with their bright eyes. Such a merry & bright memory.
Milly and the Old Man by Frank Stone, 1848
The Old Man and Mrs. William Putting Up Holly by Charles Green, 1912
Mr. Redlaw, the Old Man, William and Mrs. William by Charles Green, 1912
"Merry and Happy was it?", asked the Chemist in a Low Voice by Fred Barnard, 1878
I found another illustration of Mr. Redlaw and the Phantom:The Haunted Man by Claude Allin Shepperson, 1902
We had the suspense of the who statements, then the when, and now we have the whereas. I love the build-up of these passages. Summary Three:
I was also confused about the multiple names. It took me a minute to realize that Mr. William was the same person as Mr. Swidger and Mrs. William was Milly (although that one was a little easier to figure out.) Mr. William was so efficient in speaking and placing each item down on the table. I enjoyed reading that!
Summary Four:
The comparison between Mr. and Mrs. Williams' appearances was delightful. I especially liked "Whereas Mr. William's light hair stood on end all over his head..." compared to Mrs. William's hair being "waved away under a trim tidy cap, in the most exact and quiet manner imaginable". I suppose opposites do attract. ❤️
Mr. Redlaw, being a much younger man than Mr. William's father (I am assuming; does anyone have a guess to the age of Mr. Redlaw?), it's sad to see the way the life has been drained out of him compared to the older man's spirit.
The contrast of images that stimulate warm or happy thoughts compared to those that produce cold or sad thoughts is interesting in this work. I also find it interesting what Dickens has chosen as images for this, for example the contrast in the appearances of the various Williams family members--ordered, tidy in the the wife, chaotic, unkempt in the husband and aged, deteriorating in the father. And notice that odd juxtaposing of the father, Philip, saying how happy his Christmas memories are but recalls the death of his mother. I find this contrast quite unsettling which is a delightful feeling to have for this ghost story!
Lee wrote: "I am puzzling over the repetitive use of the adverb “when”. It goes on endlessly for pages. ”When" is primarily considered a subordinating conjunction in English grammar, as it introduces a depende..."I agree with you Lee. I kept going back and re-reading the sections thinking I had missed some wording. It WAS annoying especially after all the beautiful descriptions of Mr. Redlaw and his surroundings that set such an eerie tone congruent with the title of the story.
Petra wrote: Lee, I went back and reread that section.
It gave me the feeling of reflections or happenings going on around him, in the larger World, while he sat and mused in front of the fire. He was locked within himself, outside of anything going on around him, in the larger World, until "when a knock came to his door, in short, as he was sitting so, and roused him".
That's the last "when". He's brought out of himself and back to the real world.
I'm not sure if that's what Dickens meant.
Petra , I like this interpretation. Thanks!
Like others, I hadn't had a chance to read the story until now and today have caught up. All the commentary is so wonderful, and I appreciate all the illustrations my little book of Dickens' Ghost Stories has few illustrations included.
Sam wrote: " And notice that odd juxtaposing of the father, Philip, saying how happy his Christmas memories are but recalls the death of his mother..."I can understand Philip's mixed emotions in this memory. When I recall a time with my Mom, I also recall her death. It's a bittersweet memory that brings a warmth and loving memory. Death adds a tenderness to all the memories I have of her.
It's hard to explain but I understand the emotions behind Philip's thoughts.
Kelly wrote: "Mr. Redlaw, being a much younger man than Mr. William's father (I am assuming; does anyone have a guess to the age of Mr. Redlaw?), it's sad to see the way the life has been drained out of him compared to the older man's spirit. ..."Kelly, I am guessing Mr. Redlaw to be about 40 years old. He's so defeated and worn that it's hard to tell, so I may be way off. There's no enjoyment left in him.
Chris, it's great that you're caught up now. I'm glad you're enjoying the illustrations. I find them wonderful, too. They add to the atmosphere and tone of the story and give us a clearer view of the characters' personalities.
Sam wrote: " And notice that odd juxtaposing of the father, Philip, saying how happy his Christmas memories are but recalls the death of his mother. i..."I noticed this too, Sam. And I like Petra's interpretation that the death of a loved one adds tenderness to a memory. I can also relate to that.
I also wonder, if old Mr. William is the sort of person who is generally happy and if he is, that might explain how a painful moment in his life is remembered with fondness. I find that to be true in real life. Happy people tend to not remember the bad stuff in life. In contrast, I suspect it's true that unhappy people tend to dwell on unhappy memories. I think Mr. Redlaw is that kind of person.
I also had a thought that old Mr. William might have the beginnings of dementia. He repeated his age multiple times, which can be an indication of dementia. That could also be why he remembers only good things. But then, his son seems to think old Mr. William is just fine. So maybe I'm wrong.
Wonderful thoughts on the deliberate repetition of the word “when”. On the illustrations, do the 20th century illustrators give away something off the plot by having the ghost so exactly resembling the haunted man? Would Dickens have approved? We don’t know the answer yet (unless we have read ahead). But the illustrators do indeed have quite a bit of power to influence the reader!
Summary 5 - The Gift BestowedPhilip remembers his school year Christmasses and the joy they brought him. He was a star football (soccer) player. Philip sees his wife and all his children when they were young and healthy. His wife has passed and his eldest son, George, is very low. But it’s a blessing to remember the happy times. He had come to the School when times began to get hard and has been there more than 50 years now. The School had been bestowed, through a will, a bequest to furnish holly for the windows every Christmas. It made the School friendly and homey.
The benefactor’s picture hung in the Dinner Hall. He, also, had gone to each room, every year, to hang holly and brighten things up. Philip thanks him every year for this joy. Therefore, he has lots to be thankful for and many happy memories to keep with him.
He calls for Milly so that they can continue putting up the holly. They had half a building to do yet. Milly comes to his side quietly and they begin to leave.
Mr. Redlaw stops them from leaving and asks Philip to continue the story he was telling of his wife as she entered the room. But Philip is hesitant with Milly watching him and says that she can continue the story better. Milly hesitates and says she wouldn’t have come to the room if she’d known that William was telling the story.
There is a poor and ill student living in Jerusalem Buildings that was too poor to go home for the Holidays. Mr. Redlaw requests his cloak and wants to go to the student immediately. William stops him, saying that the student wouldn’t want another man to know about his illness; only Mrs. William could have gotten his confidence in the matter. Mr. Redlaw understands and slips a purse into Milly’s hands, which Milly refuses to take.
She confides that the student did not want help from Mr. Redlaw or want his presence known to Mr. Redlaw, although he was a student of his. She trusts Mr. Redlaw to keep the confidence that he now knows.
Dickensians!
Books mentioned in this topic
American Notes for General Circulation (other topics)No Thoroughfare (other topics)
The Haunted Man and the Ghost's Bargain (other topics)
The Haunted Man and the Ghost's Bargain (other topics)
The Cricket on the Hearth (other topics)
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Authors mentioned in this topic
Charles Dickens (other topics)Michael Kitchen (other topics)
Alan Bleasdale (other topics)
Fred Barnard (other topics)
Sol Eytinge Jr (other topics)
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the older brother of Ali Baba. Cassim forces Ali to give him the password (Open Sesame) to the Robber’s Cave. Greedy Cassim then goes to the cave with a donkey, intending to cart away lots of wealth. He’s found by the Robber’s and quartered in the cave. Each piece is displayed just inside the cave's entrance, as a warning to anyone else who might try to enter.
Abudah:
In James Ridley's (1736-65) "Tales of the Genii", Abudah is a merchant of Baghdad, who dreams that every night a box, or chest, enters of itself into his chamber, and discloses a hag who drives him to seek the talisman of Oromanes, which will insure happiness.
He learns finally that the real talisman of Oromanes, true happiness, can be enjoyed only by immortals, and that man's sole pursuit should be to know and obey the will of God.