Rational versus Supernatural

These stories are filled with apparently supernatural events. Mysterious voices, spontaneous human combustion, divine intervention, and talking dogs are all elements of apparently supernatural events. Brown presents three characters in a spectrum of belief. Wieland believes fervently in the supernatural, Carwin is a skeptic and Pleyel is open to both faith and explanation. It seems that Brown himself is more of a skeptic. Rational explanations are offered for virtually ever supernatural occurrence in the stories. For those instances where explanations are not given, a rationale can be inferred. "Wieland" takes inspiration from the popular European tales of the supernatural during this period, but Brown satirizes the form, by creating a tale where the supernatural can be explained away.

The voices are easily explained by Carwin's ability to mimic others and throw his voice. Carwin himself admits to these counterfeits. In "Memoirs," he explains how he created...