Asian Horror-Vengeful Spirits: Chinese Ghost Stories
The Short
Stories I read for class this week where a collection of Ghost stories that,
according to my western upbringing, were incorrect in their use of ghosts. To me a ghost is a reflection of a soul/part
of a soul that is bound to wonder earth for a reason or a purpose. For the most
part they can be combated or at least driven off/put to rest. They aren’t
necessarily malevolent but they have a purpose for returning. In Asian Culture
however, the ghost seems more like a demon or wild animal that occupies a
certain area or trail, preying on whoever crosses their path. They have no
greater goal than just scaring or inconveniencing travelers. For example in one
story, our protagonist is a well to do young man who falls in love with a
perfect woman. After spending weeks sneaking out to see her, his father catches
him and demands to know who he is seeing. After the “hero” tells his father his
father becomes pale and tells him that the woman he is seeing has been dead and
that he has been dating a ghost. So they move to another town and the young man
lives his life unmolested by anything other than fond memories and a vase he
got from her. He isn’t haunted further, and there is no further report on the ghost…..
So why do we care? If the ghost isn’t going to do anything to haunt or scare
the guy, why should we be worried? If the ghosts don’t posses any sort of power
or influence, what is the point in making them supernatural, spectral beings?
I cant recommend the Chinese Ghost stories for anything more
than cultural perspective as they aren’t in anyway engaging.
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