Uncanny In The Graveyard Book

The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman easily fits into the category of ghost stories. It tells the story of a young boy whose mother, father, and sister were killed by a man named Jack when he was a baby. He managed to escape the house and make it to a graveyard not far from his home. There, he meets several ghosts, including Mr. and Mrs. Owens, who decide to take care of him. The baby is named Nobody, or Bod as a nickname. He lives among these ghost as the only living person in the graveyard but cannot leave it. He meets many different ghosts and other supernatural creatures. This story involves elements of the uncanny, or the feeling of something familiar becoming unfamiliar and dreadful. For example, an element of the uncanny in The Graveyard book is Bod’s guardian Silas. Bod looks up to Silas and he comfortable around him. Even though Silas has a sense of familiarity, he is still mysterious and unknown. For example, he tells Bod he has to leave but refuses to tell him where he is going. He only says, “There are things need to uncover that I cannot uncover here.” He gives Bod a small Golden Gate Bridge when he returns, but still does not tell him what he was doing in San Francisco. He is also not quite alive and …show more content…
Both of these stories are considered ghost stories. The ghost in Hamlet is of Hamlet Sr., who was killed and now seeks revenge. The ghosts in The Graveyard Book are all of the main characters who died, were buried in the same graveyard, and came back to life. They are from several different time periods and ways of life, which adds depth to the story. It is also similar to Rime of the Ancient Mariner, in which the ghosts are the crewmates on the mariner’s ship. It also includes supernatural elements like sea monsters, ghost ships, and curses. The Graveyard Book, Hamlet, and Rime of the Ancient Mariner all fit in perfectly with the theme of ghost