Compare the way in which Morrison and Stoker present the human response to the
supernatural
Both Morrison and Stoker challenge social expectations and the standards of society in
their examining of the human response to the supernatural while showing the
importance of religion. Morrison encourages her 1980’s readers to question the
assumption that ‘the other’ can have no association with normal society nor be paired
with religion, conflicting the pre-existing compartmentalisation of society through race
too. Writing in a period when gothic fiction dominated as thrilling terror, Stoker
subverts the norm within this genre by acknowledging that ‘the other’ , or evil, can be
easily overcome with religion and the help of those we may also view as ‘the other’,
whilst reminding the reader that ‘the other’ can be found on the surface of society.
Morrison and Stoker both use the power of religion to examine the human response to
the supernatural. Despite Beloved being written in third person, meaning the human
response cannot be examined in a personal manner, through imagery, Morrison
presents the actions which take place in association with destroying the supernatural.
The writer initially conceals the response of the thirty women as she writes “Stuffed in
pockets, strung around their necks, lying in the space between their breasts”. This
purposefully obscures the reader from immediately recognising the symbols of
Christianity worn and carried by the women which serves to portray their responses as
somewhat secretive whilst underpinning a sense of uncertainty as to whether their
actions will be successful or not. Notably, Morrison does depict the women to still hold
a certain amount of strength as she writes “Others brought Christian faith – as shield
and sword” however this also implies a need for protection. Thus, our attention is held
by the idea that in spite of us as humans believing we are superior, ‘the other’ has
power over society, a recurring theme within this novel seen through the treatment of
the black Americas, or ‘the other’, by white Americans. Stoker, contrastingly provides
his reader with a strong sense of certainty when dealing with the supernatural due to
Van Helsing’s instructive nature during the destruction of Lucy. The detail of “Take this
stake in your left hand” and “Strike in God’s name” immediately portrays a calm and
knowing nature which dilutes the sense of terror presented by Arthur who “threw
himself on his knees, and hid his face in his hands.” Moreover, despite being less
graphic than the imagery Morrison uses, this conveys the supernatural as being
destroyed by religion and is therefore bold in highlighting it as an unholy being. At the
time, Victorian society would have viewed Van Helsing, the foreigner, as ‘the other’,
however, they would have also viewed Lucy, in this instance, as ‘the other’. This
explains Van Helsing’s reasoning for his calmness as being seen as an outsider, he
therefore would be capable of seeing Lucy for the human she was. Arthur on the other
hand, as a nobleman, would be less open to the possibility of the supernatural
infiltrating society, most especially corrupting somebody as pure as Lucy. As well as
showing disbelief, the action of hiding his face behind his hand is almost childlike which
supernatural
Both Morrison and Stoker challenge social expectations and the standards of society in
their examining of the human response to the supernatural while showing the
importance of religion. Morrison encourages her 1980’s readers to question the
assumption that ‘the other’ can have no association with normal society nor be paired
with religion, conflicting the pre-existing compartmentalisation of society through race
too. Writing in a period when gothic fiction dominated as thrilling terror, Stoker
subverts the norm within this genre by acknowledging that ‘the other’ , or evil, can be
easily overcome with religion and the help of those we may also view as ‘the other’,
whilst reminding the reader that ‘the other’ can be found on the surface of society.
Morrison and Stoker both use the power of religion to examine the human response to
the supernatural. Despite Beloved being written in third person, meaning the human
response cannot be examined in a personal manner, through imagery, Morrison
presents the actions which take place in association with destroying the supernatural.
The writer initially conceals the response of the thirty women as she writes “Stuffed in
pockets, strung around their necks, lying in the space between their breasts”. This
purposefully obscures the reader from immediately recognising the symbols of
Christianity worn and carried by the women which serves to portray their responses as
somewhat secretive whilst underpinning a sense of uncertainty as to whether their
actions will be successful or not. Notably, Morrison does depict the women to still hold
a certain amount of strength as she writes “Others brought Christian faith – as shield
and sword” however this also implies a need for protection. Thus, our attention is held
by the idea that in spite of us as humans believing we are superior, ‘the other’ has
power over society, a recurring theme within this novel seen through the treatment of
the black Americas, or ‘the other’, by white Americans. Stoker, contrastingly provides
his reader with a strong sense of certainty when dealing with the supernatural due to
Van Helsing’s instructive nature during the destruction of Lucy. The detail of “Take this
stake in your left hand” and “Strike in God’s name” immediately portrays a calm and
knowing nature which dilutes the sense of terror presented by Arthur who “threw
himself on his knees, and hid his face in his hands.” Moreover, despite being less
graphic than the imagery Morrison uses, this conveys the supernatural as being
destroyed by religion and is therefore bold in highlighting it as an unholy being. At the
time, Victorian society would have viewed Van Helsing, the foreigner, as ‘the other’,
however, they would have also viewed Lucy, in this instance, as ‘the other’. This
explains Van Helsing’s reasoning for his calmness as being seen as an outsider, he
therefore would be capable of seeing Lucy for the human she was. Arthur on the other
hand, as a nobleman, would be less open to the possibility of the supernatural
infiltrating society, most especially corrupting somebody as pure as Lucy. As well as
showing disbelief, the action of hiding his face behind his hand is almost childlike which
