THE HAUNTED MAN
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The Haunted Man, written five years after A Christmas Carol, shares ideas with the earlier work, particularly the notion of a person’s soul being healed through a dream journey taken in a single night’s time. Dr. Charles Latham is a lonely old professor disturbed by painful memories–the loss of his sweetheart to his best friend, the suicide of his beloved sister–who wishes only to forget the images that dog his sleeping hours despite the opiates he ingests. One Christmas Eve, the ghost of his youthful self grants him his wish. Not only does he forget all his past unhappiness, but he has the ability to grant this amnesia to others. At first, Latham is overjoyed, and he proceeds to generously share what he regards as a blessing. Eventually, though, he comes to realize the value of memories; he learns that the painful ones teach us to appreciate the pleasant ones. But his folly isn’t easily reversed, and Latham must use all his newly discovered wisdom to restore order to his universe.
This story operates on many levels: A psychologist might conclude that you can solve your problems only by facing them. A theologian might speak of the necessity of forgiveness. An anthropologist might see in the story the myth of the tragic hero who redeems himself through personal sacrifice. A folklorist might recognize the fable of the foolish wish that backfires on the wisher. Members of modern society, where people often seek oblivion through artificial means, might hear that old saw: you can run, but you can’t hide.
Art accompanying story in printed newspaper (not available in this archive): photo/Jennifer Girard.
