Supernaturalism in 20th Century Literature

This assignment analyzes the role of supernaturalism in 20th-century literature, focusing specifically on the novels 'The Great Gatsby' by F. Scott Fitzgerald and 'Beloved' by Toni Morrison. It delves into how authors utilize supernatural elements to bridge reality and fantasy, enhancing themes and creating a more profound impact on readers. The essay examines symbols like water and trees in both novels and discusses how they contribute to the mystical and romantic portrayal of the past.

Running head: SUPERNATURAL ELEMENTS IN LITERATURE
Supernatural Elements in Literature
Name of the Student:
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1SUPERNATURAL ELEMENTS IN LITERATURE
Executive Summary
This report intends to shed light on the use of the various supernatural elements in the novels
of the 20th century. The report intends to study the process of the use of the supernatural
elements in the novels through the analysis of two novels, namely, “The Great Gatsby” and
“Beloved”. The report also incorporates the use of the supernatural elements in these two
novels. Lastly, the report also incorporates the reason for the use of those particular
supernatural elements in those novels.

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Table of Contents
Introduction................................................................................................................................3
The Great Gatsby.......................................................................................................................3
Valley of ashes.......................................................................................................................4
Green light..............................................................................................................................4
Alcohol...................................................................................................................................4
Beloved......................................................................................................................................4
Water......................................................................................................................................5
Trees.......................................................................................................................................5
Conclusion..................................................................................................................................6
References..................................................................................................................................7

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Introduction
“The instruments of darkness tell us truths,
Win us with honest trifles, to betray's
In deepest consequence.”
The above quoted lines of Banquo from the famous play of William Shakespeare,
Macbeth, tell us about the real nature of the supernatural elements in the context of our world
(Lowrance, 2012). The supernatural elements, since the 6th Century B.C have been an
important element of the Literary world (Punter, 2015). In the 19th century, the emergence of
the Gothic Literature confirmed the love, which people generally hold for the supernatural
elements (Botting, 2012). Many authors as well as poets since then have made use of the
elements of supernaturalism to bridge the gap between the real as well as the unreal elements
in Literature (Botting, 2012). Fitzgerald’s “The Great Gatsby” and Toni Morrison’s
“Beloved” are two such novels of the 20th century which makes use of the elements of
supernatural elements transcend the gap between the real world as well as the unreal world
(Hauhart, 2013). It is to be noted that the novel “Beloved” by Toni Morrison is often looked
upon by the critics as one of the progenitors of the artistic style of “magical realism”
(Hauhart, 2013).
The Great Gatsby
The novel “The Great Gatsby” is often considered by many to be the masterpiece of F.
Scott Fitzgerald. The novel talks about the concept of “The Great American Dream” and its
corruption (Fitzgerald, 1950). It is the story of Jay Gatsby and his love for his unrequited love
for his beloved Daisy Buchanan (Fitzgerald, 1950). The entire life of Gatsby revolves around
one thing, that is, to get back Daisy in his life. However, in the climax of the novel he realizes
that all his life he had loved a “tinsel goddess”, whom is not worth his love as well as

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devotion (Fitzgerald, 1950). The author to render the unrequited love of Gatsby a fairy tale
element makes use of various supernatural elements like alcohol, phone, valley of ashes,
green light outside the house of Daisy and various others. Some of the supernatural elements
used in the novel are as follows-
Valley of ashes
The valley of ashes metaphorically represents the present state of the world. It can
also be compared to the Inferno of Dante’s The Divina Commedia (Fitzgerald, 1950). The
author makes use of the supernatural element to portray the emotionless as well as the ruined
life of the residents of this living Inferno. Therefore, it can be said that the valley of ashes is
not just a supernatural element but it forms one of the structural elements of the novel
(Hauhart, 2013).
Green light
The supernatural element of the green light which is ever present outside the house of
Daisy and visible to Gatsby, is the symbol of the “eternal hope”, which is ever burning in the
heart of the protagonist of the novel. This supernatural element symbolizes Gatsby’s hope
that maybe one day the “wheels of fate” will turn and his beloved will come back to him
(Hauhart, 2013).
Alcohol
Alcohol is another element which is ingrained into the structural element of the novel.
It is seen that alcohol is one of the common used element in the novel and forms one of the
essential ingredients of the parties which Gatsby organizes in the hope that maybe one-day
Daisy will come to one of his parties and get impressed by all the “wealth as well as the
grandeur” of his greatness (Hauhart, 2013). It is also to be noted that just like the way in the
Gothic novels, the lead character under the spell of the supernatural elements give away all

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their secrets, so in this novel as well the lead characters under the spell of alcohol give away
all their secrets.
Beloved
“Beloved”, is often considered to be the masterpiece of the Nobel Laureate, Toni
Morrison (George, 2012). The novel explores the lives of the slaves of Kentucky who have
been illegally kidnapped and brought from their native land of Africa to work as slaves in
America (George, 2012). The novel provides a penetrating insight into the lives of the black
slaves and their community during the Civil War, through the life of the slave, Margaret
Garner, who killed her daughter in order to save her from the cruel institution of slavery
(Morrison, 2010). This dead daughter of Margaret mysterious returns back to life as an adult
person to haunt her mother and her younger sister. The author, the first African American to
win the Nobel Prize, makes use of some supernatural elements to render the lives of the black
slaves more real as well as fantastical at the same time (George, 2012). Some of the
supernatural elements used by the author are as follows-
Water
Water is one of the most dominant supernatural elements to be used in the novel. It is
to be noted that the crossing over of the middle passage, many African women killed
themselves by jumping into the ocean (Morrison,2010). Therefore, the author uses the
symbol of water as a supernatural element in the novel. It is to be noted that the dead
daughter of Seth, emerges from the river as a fully-grown woman, Seth cannot hold her
uterus and has to relieve herself in the middle of the road and when she relieves herself, she
feels that the entire river which she crossed while giving birth to the daughter whom she
killed herself, will come out of her. It also to ne noted that Beloved sees the image of Seth in
the water and considers Seth to be her mother on the basis of that.

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Trees
Trees are another important supernatural symbol used in the novel. It is to be noted
that the native Americans used to consider the native Africans to be mystical creatures who
used to live on trees in their native country. Thus, it is to be noted that there are many
mystical references to trees in the novel.
Conclusion
Therefore, from the above discussion it becomes clear that the various elements of
supernaturalism form an important element of the different novels of the 20th century. The
elements of supernaturalism are often used by the authors in a bid to cross the thin bridge
between reality and fantasy and to render the past world more mystical as well as romantic.
Thus, the authors of the novels, “The Great Gatsby” as well as “Beloved” have incorporated
the elements of supernaturalism in the novels to render them more fantastical and also to
make an appeal to the inner nature of the human beings.

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References
Botting, F. (2012). In Gothic Darkly: Heterotopia, History, Culture. A New Companion to
the Gothic, 13-24.
Fitzgerald, F. (1950). The great Gatsby. Harmondsworth: Penguin Books.
George, S. (2012). Approaching the Thing of slavery: a Lacanian analysis of Toni Morrison's
Beloved. African American Review, 45(1), 115-130.
Hauhart, R. C. (2013). Religious Language and Symbolism in The Great Gatsby’s Valley of
Ashes. ANQ: A Quarterly Journal of Short Articles, Notes and Reviews, 26(3), 200-
204.
Lowrance, B. (2012). " Modern Ecstasy": Macbeth and the Meaning of the Political. ELH,
79(4), 823-849.
Morrison, T.(2010). Beloved. Fyfield, Oxfordshire: Oak Tree Fine Press.