Supernatural vs. Reason

One of the primary themes running through all of the stories in M.R. James' collection, Casting the Runes and other Ghost Stories, is that of the supernatural versus reason or common sense. The protagonists of the story frequently start out either directly disbelieving or wary of anything supernatural. They tend to be cultured gentlemen who are more concerned with research or their work than investigating mysteries they may come across. However, through their experiences, they quickly become believers. For example, in the short story, "Number 13," the main character, Mr. Anderson, believes there must be a logical explanation behind his discovery of the thirteenth room. He has seen it with his own eyes and it is not until he has come to accept the other odd experiences that he believes the room is supernatural. Frequently, it takes several experiences to make a believer out of the...