Theme dos!

Okay, so this is going to be the long awaited, short post. I promise, at least one.

So this is going to be about the second theme i found in the book. I kind of touched on it last time. To me, I felt that a lot of what the ghost did was inorder to make the family pay for what they've done in the past.We see this especially with her father. Who often committed terrible things, though he was a strangely just and honorable man. But still the ghost drove him to his death in payment for his sins.

In the same way he spared her mother, becasue she was so virtous, the spirit often remarked on how he cared deeply for her and loved her for how kind and holy she was.

The set up between the two is very powerful, he is the man, the butter on the bread, and he is strong, dependable, and very god-fearing. Ideal, just like his wife is. And yet, though he is in appearance the ideal man in those ways, we find out throughout the story that in the past he's done some very shady things, and hurt people. The spirit takes this and tortures him for it. However, his wife, Mary, has never really hurt anyone, and has always been loving. The spirit can see her for what she truly is, as it sees John. Throughout the book, in who the spirit spares or punishes there is that feeling of judgement, that this is a vehicle for God's punishment. Though in truth we find out it's not, just a lost soul who is torturing people with no real reason, rather than he saw something in thier hearts.

so yes, theme 2: punishment for one's sins. Religion is a major part in this novel, and especially here we see that the author feels deeply about judgement.