G is for Ghosts

They're the left over imprints of a human soul. Sometimes lost, sometimes sad, sometimes frightening. They're the often painful reminders that what's no longer alive is not necessarily gone from our lives. Specter. Apparition. Shade. Wraiths. Ghosts . . . 

Warning: This post may contain spoilers. And woefully pathetic writing as it was completed at midnight following a weekend out of town. 

G is for Ghosts 

Fat Friar, Grey Lady, Bloody Baron and Nearly Headless Nick (Harry Potter series) – I always loved the idea of a ghost for each of the four Hogwarts houses. And what's more, I love that Rowling invents a rich back-story for each, going so far as to reveal the Grey Lady as the daughter of Hogwarts founder, Rowena Ravenclaw, and the former lover of The Bloody Baron, who killed her in a fit of rage and then committed suicide in grief over her loss. 

Jacob Marley (A Christmas Carol) – It's Jacob Marley's visit that initially catapults Ebeneezer Scrooge into his emotional journey, which of course includes three other memorable ghosts - those of the past, present and future. Following his death, Marley is condemned to walk the earth, heavily shackled in chains as penance for his mistreatment of the poor and wretched during his lifetime and proving that we take with us the sins of our past. 

Banquo (MacBeth) – William Shakespeare's famous apparition, Banquo's ghostly presence at the banquet feast shows the cracks in MacBeth's psyche and indicates the torment of his conscience. The question of whether the ghost actually appeared or if it was a figment of MacBeth's imagination is a theme debated to this day. 

Delbert Grady (The Shining) – The former caretaker of the Overlook Hotel, Delbert Grady famously murdered his wife and children and committed suicide in the 1940's. He now haunts the hotel, his whispers urging Jack to kill his own family. Grady is a representation of the fear many carry with them of the dead and their ability to haunt or influence us long after their deaths. 

Dr. Malcolm Crowe (The Sixth Sense) – I hate to join the list of people who say they guessed that Malcolm was a ghost from the beginning, but I have evidence in the form of childhood friend with whom I went to see The Sixth Sense that it's true. I guessed it from the moment he started talking to young Cole Sear, the boy who "sees dead people". 

And last but not least, a few ghostly Honorable Mentions: 

> Grace, Charles and Anne Stewart (The Others) 
> Sam Wheat (Ghost)
> Casper the Friendly Ghost (Casper) – I was never a big fan of the cartoon or comics as a kid, but to this say I still watch the live-action movie with Christina Ricci and Devon Sawa every year for Halloween. 

And there you have it, my Top 5 favorite Ghosts. What are some of your favorites? 

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This post is part of the Blogging A through Z Challenge 2013. My theme (in case you didn't already guess) is character types and tropes. Stay tuned for the rest of the alphabet, and if you’d like to check in on the other participants, simply click here.