Explore the Society for Psychical Research, established in 1882. You might find it useful to reference the Journal of the Society for Psychical Research, the Journal of the American Society for Psychical Research, A. Gauld's The Founders of Psychical Research (1968), or Psychical Research: A Guide to its History, Principles and Practices, edited by I. Grattan-Guinness (1982). Who were the "ghostbusters" of the Victorian era? How prevalent was the belief in ghosts during that time? Compare the real-life perceptions of ghosts to those depicted by the characters in "The Canterville Ghost."

Study the Aesthetic Movement, also referred to as the Decadent Movement. You might want to consult literary anthologies along with the following books: Elizabeth Aslin's The Aesthetic Movement: Prelude to Art Nouveau (Frederick A. Praeger, 1969), Aesthetes and Decadents of the 1890s: An Anthology of British Poetry and Prose (Vintage Books, 1966), edited by Karl Beckson, and The ‘‘Yellow Book’’: Quintessence of the Nineties (Anchor Books, 1964), edited by Stanley Weintraub. What were the objectives of this movement? What were the beliefs of the artists and writers involved? How does ‘‘The Canterville Ghost'' align with this movement?

The Otis family uses ‘‘Pinkerton's Champion Stain Remover and Paragon Detergent’’ to clean the Ghost's blood stains and offers "Tammany Rising Sun Lubricator" and "Dr. Dobell’s Tincture" for the ghost's various ailments. How were such products advertised in the late nineteenth century? Look into sources like newspapers from the 1890s, Sears catalogs from that period, or books such as Selling Culture: Magazines, Markets, and Class at the Turn of the Century by Richard Ohmann (1996), Soap, Sex, and Cigarettes: A Cultural History of American Advertising by Juliann Sivulka (1997), or Early American Advertising by Bob Perlongo (1985). Compare advertisements for other nineteenth-century miracle medicines and cleansers to the Otis family's claims about their products' efficiency.