Tunnel of Bones

Content Warning: This section of the guide includes discussion of death.

The ghost stories that Mrs. Blake tells throughout the novel form a motif that informs the theme of History’s Enduring Presence in Places and People. These stories incorporate important events and cultural landmarks from Paris’s history. For example, the story about Jean the Skinner revolves around his death some 500 years ago at the hands of Queen Catherine. Mr. and Mrs. Blake’s historical expertise allows them to connect real people and events from history to unexplained phenomena. Associating paranormal activity with recorded facts lends credence to the idea of ghosts. More importantly, it reveals how those historical people and events still influence society. Ghost stories are a way to keep the past alive and attribute permanence to human life.

Ghost stories are also a way to invoke magic in a world that often feels too solemn. Cassidy notes, “A little shudder runs through me, but this one is simple, the almost-pleasant chill that comes with a good ghost story” (53). This “almost-pleasant chill” reveals how a feeling of distance, both in space and time, mitigates the experience of fear that often accompanies ghost stories. The Veil separates the listeners from the ghosts physically, while the story’s origin in the past makes it feel less threatening. In response to the ghost story of Notre Dame, Cassidy observes, “Adele’s eyes have gone bright with delight at Mom’s words. As if these are all just stories, held back from reality, the way we are held back from the balcony’s edge” (136). However, Cassidy knows firsthand that the stories and ghosts are very real, and they embody history’s existence in the present.