III THE PARANORMAL IN THE VICTORIAN NOVEL: BULWER-LYTTON'S, "A STRANGE STORY"

THE PARANORMAL CONFRONTS VICTORIAN MATERIALSM

Picking up the ideas from the previous Post, Bulwer now sets out to expose the Materialist, Fenwick, to Occult experiences difficult to dispute.

The first of these is AN OUT OF THE BODY PROJECTION. 

Inadvertently, Fenwick kicks this off by a visit to Richard Strahan an old College friend, Sir Philip Derval's heir.



SITTING ALONE IN SIR PHILIP DERVAL'S STUDY FENWICK ENCOUNTERS A SINISTER OUT OF THE BODY PROJECTION FROM MARGRAVE


Fenwick asks to study a Manuscript  written by the murdered baronet on the nature of The Occult. He comes across a section describing something, which unknown to him he will shortly encounter.

Fenwick tells us Sir Philip spoke 'of a power by which a spectral reflection of the material body could be cast, like a shadow, to a distance; glide through the walls of a prison, elude the sentinels of a camp ...' (XXXIX)

Remember, as I have shown in previous posts, this description,  fantastic as it may sound, was what Bulwer (and other Victorian novelists) believed could be performed.

And then, Fenwick receives a titanic shock. Whilst reading details of Sir Philip's researches:

 a dim shadow fell over the page, and a cold air seemed to breathe on me. Cold - so cold that

my blood halted in my veins as if suddenly frozen! Involuntarily I started and looked up, sure

that some ghastly presence was in the room. And then, on the opposite side of the wall, I

         beheld an unsubstantial likeness of a human form. Shadow, I call it, but the word is not strictly correct, for it was luminous, though with a pale shine (XXXIX)

Fenwick is being submitted to the BODILY PROJECTION of Margrave. His first reaction is to put it down to some sort of Optical Illusion. In this connection, although the Luminous Shadow 'has the face and form of Margrave' Fenwick, assumes that Margrave is standing behind him. He is wrong. In fact, his experience bites in even more, for when he attempts to get out of the chair he cannot move. Deeper than that, Fenwick becomes totally unconscious for two hours.

Margrave's Paranormal Powers have placed Fenwick in a state of MESMERIC CATALEPSY,

It is difficult, even for a purely MATERIALIST physician to ascribe this to any sort of Optical Illusion. When he recovers, some two hours later, the Manuscript has vanished and Fenwick is forced to evaluate the situation. Note carefully how he begins to make SOME CONCESSIONS to the Paranormal. The Capital letters I have inserted for emphasis.

A phantom MIGHT ... a human will, though exerted at a distance, IF the 

tales of MESMERISM be  true, deprive me of movement and of 

consciousness; ..... was I to seek explanation in the arts of sorcery?. (XL)

Whether Fenwick realises it or not, whether  he wishes it to happen or not, slowly, gradually his mental processes are shifting. They are becoming MODIFIED by his own experience. In fact, he cannot leave it alone, for, when he reports the strange happenings to Strahan, Fenwick  is once more in doubt as to his MATERIALIST Philosophy. He wonders whether he SHOULD 'attach serious credit to the marvellous narrative (Sir Philip Derval's Manuscript)'. He ponders whether 'such powers' had been 'given to man'. Just for a moment he considers the possibility of a HALLUCINATION. But, then asks himself, 'how came the book gone? That, at least was not hallucination' (XL)

His purely Empirical approach cannot answer these questions. In fact even when the old housekeeper admits to having stolen the Manuscript from under his nose, he is more confused than ever. Why is this? Because she admits having stolen the Manuscript under the influence of mysterious forces ('the Devil put it into her head'; she 'swore she felt something lead her by the hand'; something whispered in her ear'). (XLIV)  His confused state of mind is not surprising because Fenwick has encountered this sort of thing before in relation to Mrs Brabazon and Lilian Ashleigh.

From this point on Margrave's PROJECTION OF HIMSELF from a distance, becomes central to Bulwers attempt to reeducate Fenwick, to shift him from his Materialistic philosophy. The Empiricist, Fenwick requires EVIDENCE based on his own EXPERIENCE, so Bulwer provides him with evidence in addition to the theft of the Manuscript.

By this stage of the novel Margrave is intensley occupied with his search for the ELIXIR OF LIFE. Therefore whilst Fenwick is a guest in Strahan's house, Margrave involves Fenwick in a number of Magical Rites to achieve his purpose.


MARGRAVE FORCES FENWICK TO PARTICIPATE IN MAGICAL RITES AS THIS PICTURE OF AN ALCHEMIST BRINGS OUT


And so Margrave's domination of Fenwick begins as Fenwick reports. He is alone in his room. Then at two-o-clock in the morning, 'the well remembered cold wind passed through the room, stirring the roots of my hair; and before me stood against the wall, THE LUMINOUS SHADOW.'

The Shadow places Fenwick in a MESMERIC TRANCE and immediately commands that Fenwick follow it. Unable to resist, like a Sleepwalker he follows the Shadow. He next collects Margrave's Staff which possesses Occult Power and follows the shadow into a room above the old pavilion.

Standing in the middle of the floor he extracts a substance from the handle of the Staff. He also has  obtains a smaller Slender Wand of polished steel, tipped with crystal. Under the command of the Shadow, Fenwick uses the substance obtained from the handle of the Staff to draw a PENTACLE on the floor.





A PENTAGRAM SIMILAR TO THE ONE DRAWN BY FENWICK AT THE COMMAND OF MARGRAVE'S SHADOW




After he has drawn the Pentagram Fenwick is commanded by the Shadow to apply the flame of a candle to the circle around the Pentacle. Immediately the circle glows with a soft radiance. At the same time a 'soft grey transparent mist and a faint but exquisite odour' arise.

Fenwick and the Shadow stand inside the circle. The Shadow dominate's Fenwick's Mind throughout the ritual. Fenwick points the Wand, repeats some words in an unknown language, whispered to him by the Shadow.

At this the watch-dog in the yard, and the distant village dogs take up a deafening howl. The ground trembles like an earthquake and then 'vague formless shadows seemed to pass across the moonlight'. Fenwick is gripped by a crushing terror. He sinks deeper and deeper into submission.

But then the process is abruptly aborted. The voice of Lilian Ashleigh intervenes and Fenwick sees her form and features in the distance. At once the Shadow vanishes and Fenwick's Mind is released from bondage. With great relief he flees to the apparent safety of his room.



MARGRAVE'S LUMINOUS SHADOW EXEMPLIFIED BY THE BROCKEN



Later, Fenwick learns that Lilian Ashleigh communicated with him TELEPATHICALLY whilst she slept. We shall see a resemblance to this episode in 'Jane Eyre'.

In this incident there are several things to bear in mind. 

1. The Victorian notion that MESMERISTS like Margrave could control others AT A DISTANCE

2. The Ability of a person with a strong will to place another individual in a SOMNAMBULISTIC TRANCE

3. The TELEPATHIC CONNECTION believed to exist between certain individuals.

We must not miss the point that Bulwer strives to bring out. He provides Fenwick with certain facts that can be checked EMPIRICALLY: the old servant found Margrave's staff where Fenwick had left it; the old servant heard the dogs howl at around two o-clock in the morning; Strahan was unable to sleep because he felt Margrave in his head; he not only heard the dogs howl but also felt the whole house shake.(LII). As well as the EVIDENCE from third parties, Fenwick discovers the PENTACLE he had drawn the previous night. His doubts concerning the Occult begin to disappear.

In the final stages of the novel Fenwick is FORCED TO CHANGE HIS VIEWS. He is compelled to see a direct relationship between Lilian Ashleigh's illness and Margrave's Occult power.

At this time Fenwick and Lilian are living in Australia with their friend Dr Faber. But even this enormous distance is no barrier to Margrave. Margrave is determined, simply because he is ageing fast, to gain Fenwick's cooperation in his quest for the Elixir of Life. Consequently he PROJECTS THE SHADOW and regarding Lilian 'from that time health gradually left her' and her strength and life ebbs away (LXXII)




THE EBBING AWAY OF LILIAN ASHLEIGH'S LIFE IS WELL DEPICTED IN THIS PAINTING OF OPHELIA BY MILLAIS

There is absolutely nothing that either Fenwick or Dr Faber can do to restore her vitality. And then Margrave appears in person. This time he is old, wizened, and seems at the point of death. He is desperate to secure the Elixir before his life is snuffed out. Margrave tells Fenwick plainly that he alone can save Lilian from death.



MARGRAVE AGEING RAPIDLY IS DETERMINED TO FORCE FENWICK TO HELP HIM FIND THE ELIXIR OF LIFE




But this saving of her life is conditional. Fenwick must cooperate with Margrave and help him concoct the Elixir and then administer it. Because Fenwick is desperate to save Lilian's life, and because he has witnessed Margrave's awesome power he agrees to take part. But this is not all, he has also seen that in Lilian's case CONVENTIONAL Medical Science is powerless either to save her now or to free her from Margrave's MESMERISM.

However, the experiment fails, demonic forces are unleashed and Margrave dies. But once Margrave's baleful influence has gone, Lilian begins to recover. She exclaims, 'The cold and dark shadow has passed away from me for ever' (LXXXIX). Soon she is back to real health.

Although this is the end of the novel and by this time Fenwick acknowledges that a purely Materialistic Philosophy and a Mechanical Medical approach are deficient, before we bring the Post to an end I have to mention the role of Dr Faber in Fenwick's reeducation process.

It is not necessary to go into the extensive discussion between Dr Faber and Fenwick. So, I will just make two or three comments. First, Dr Faber is an acknowledged Medical Authority whom Fenwick admires. Secondly, he presents arguments from a Scientific and Supernatural point of view to give Fenwick a new perspective.

It amounts to this. There is a need to place human instincts and intuitions ALONGSIDE empirical investigation to arrive at a correct understanding of Man and his relationship to the Universe. He suggests that Evolution and other theories that discount a Creator are delusions. He then suggests that Christianity is comprehensive enough to incorporate Science, Mesmerism, and the existence of a Spiritual Dimension.

So, there you have it.

To sum up. In his novel Bulwer has dramatised the LIMITATIONS of the Materialist by exposing him to a number of Paranormal Shocks. Bulwer has also tried to persuade his readers that the PROBLEM of interpreting evidence correctly is JUST AS DIFFICULT for the Materialist Philosopher as it is for those who would criticise a Christian for relying upon FAITH to believe in the existence of that which could not be seen.

I Hope you have Enjoyed the Series on Bulwer-Lytton.

Any Comments?

The Paranormal in 'Jane Eyre' is the Subject of my next Post or two

Picture Credits: Wikimedia Commons