What Do I Read Next?
- ‘‘Young Goodman Brown’’ (1835) by Nathaniel Hawthorne tells the tale of a newlywed man who embarks on a brief journey away from home. As he traverses the forest, he witnesses the townspeople participating in a satanic ritual. This experience shatters Goodman Brown, though it remains uncertain whether he truly saw these events or merely imagined them.
- ‘‘The Monkey’s Paw’’ (1902) by W. W. Jacobs narrates the story of a Sergeant-Major who brings a monkey’s paw back from his travels in India. He gives it to the White family, who make light of its supposed ability to grant three wishes. The Whites’ frivolous wishes result in tragedy and horror.
- ‘‘The Secret Sharer’’ (1909) by Joseph Conrad follows a young sea captain who knowingly shelters a stowaway on his ship. This man, accused of murder, serves as a doppelganger for the captain, providing him with the courage to defy his crew, even though the stowaway’s life and character remain enigmatic.
- Poe’s short story ‘‘The Fall of the House of Usher’’ (1839) delves into the actions of a disturbed protagonist who entombs his sister, only for her to return and bring about his destruction.
- Poe’s ‘‘William Wilson’’ also explores the lifelong conflict of a protagonist with a mysterious doppelganger, or double.
The Turn of the Screw (1898), a novella by Henry James, recounts the story of ghostly apparitions seen by an English governess in a Victorian mansion. Some critics interpret these hallucinations as manifestations of a repressed mind.
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