Data Bases • Custom Term Papers • Free Term Papers • Free Research Papers • Free Essays • Free Book Reports • Plagiarism? Links • Top 100 Term Paper Sites • Top 25 Essay Sites • Top 50 Essay Sites • Search 97,000 Papers @ DirectEssays.com • Search 101,000 Papers @ ExampleEssays.com • Search 90,000 Papers @ MegaEssays.com Free Essays • Term Paper Sites • Chuck III's Free Essays • Free College Essays • TermPaperSites.com • My Term Papers • Get Free Essays • Essay World • Planet Papers	Search Lots of Essays Back to Subjects - Miscellaneous The Setting of The Jolly Corner and The Devils Advocate Evok the Supernatural The Setting of The Jolly Corner and The Devils Advocate Evok the Supernatural The Setting of "The Jolly Corner" and The Devil’s Advocate Evoke the Supernatural The Oxford English Dictionary defines "supernatural" as "That which is above nature; belonging to a higher realm or system than that of nature; transcending the powers or the ordinary course of nature." Through the duration of mankind’s existence, humans have been fascinated with a higher power that defies the laws of nature. Supernatural themes have stimulated literature and the arts, both ancient and modern. Many parallels can be connected between stories involving the paranormal. The setting of "The Jolly Corner" and The Devil’s Advocate evokes the preternatural. In the "The Jolly Corner", a supernatural presence is displayed within the setting. The main character, Spencer Brydon, grew up in the Jolly Corner, as well as many generations before him. We learn that many generations of the Brydon’s have grown up and passed away in the house. Their long history in the house implies that ghosts, either physical or mental, could be present. The spacious house creates a cold, desolate, and lonely feeling through James’ description of its empty rooms. In addition, a winding staircase and the intricate architecture mirrors the presence of an unknown being. Another element of setting in which the supernatural is evoked is the time of day in which the story takes place. The majority of the story takes place at night and during twilight. The cleaning lady, Mrs. Muldoon, says that she won’t stay in the house during the dark hours of the night, suggesting that uncanny happenings occur during the night. Spencer Brydon always entered the house during twilight symbolizing that he is at a threshold crossing in which he will transform himself into his doppleganger. The night and twilight setting stimulate a dark and mysterious feeling towards the house. Finally, the last major detail that evokes the supernatural within the setting is the location of the house. The house is located on the west side of town, which is closer to his origin (United States of America). The house being on the west side symbolizes what he may have been if he had stayed in the United States of America. This suggests that his doppleganger of the person he would have been if he had stayed in the United States is actually present. Another work that suggests the supernatural through it’s setting is The Devil’s Advocate. In this movie, Keanu Reeves, who plays the main character, is a lawyer. He moves to New York, a dismal city, to work for a law firm. The owner of the law firm is secretly his father and the Devil. When Reeves meets the owner, Al Pacino, it takes place in his loft. The location of Pacino’s loft is located on top of a sky-scraper, away from the natural, which suggests weird activity. The first time Reeves steps into the Pacino’s loft the audience sees a large, dim lit place. Inside the loft there is no furniture including a bed. The absence of a bed infers that Pacino never sleeps which suggests an unnatural phenomena. In addition, there is a dark gray colored mural located behind Pacino’s desk. The mural is abnormal because there are people displayed in it that convey a look of fear on their faces. Later in the movie we see the characters in the mural moving around and making gestures toward Reeves. The mural certainly suggests that there is a supernatural presence. Both "The Jolly Corner" and The Devil’s Advocate evoke the supernatural through bare, open, and cold setting. Both of these stories have some similarities within the setting. Both have bare, open, and cold settings. Both stories settings have a supernatural being residing within the setting. "The Jolly Corner" is haunted by Brydon’s doppleganger. While The Devil’s Advocate portrays the Devil residing in contemporary loft. In works dealing with the uncanny, the setting will always hint the mysterious or supernatural. Bibliography: Word Count: 649
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