Teaching Philosophy of Life through the select Ghost Novels of Toni Morrison and Margaret Atwood

Abstract

Teaching a novel is a skill, where the teacher must fathom the situations, characters and events of the story and should narrate at par with the original view of the author. Ghost novels send a chill down the spines of their readers. Other than a thrilling experience, what else can ghost novels provide? The significance of teaching philosophical aspects in the ghost novels Beloved and The Robber Bride is discussed in this paper. Both the novels portray how unpleasant encounters in life impact people. The characters Mr. Garner and Schoolteacher in the novel Beloved depict extreme variations in their conduct with others. The philosophy of inner cleanliness is revealed through the character of Charis’ grandmother in The Robber Bride. The idea of ownership is dealt with in both the novels, through the protagonists, Sethe and Tony. The courage of living and fighting against evil is portrayed through the protagonists of novels. Against popular conviction, philosophy can also be drawn from ghost novels on par with their philosophical counterparts. Besides teaching the narrative technique, metaphors, imagery, and plot construction in a ghost novel, it’s the responsibility of a teacher to counsel the values of life to students in them.