The Light Within ‘The Haunted Man’

If tonight you were visited by a phantom that could grant you the ability to forget all the sorrows and wrongs you’ve suffered, would you accept that gift? This scenario is the dilemma set before Professor Redlaw at the outset of Charles Dickens’ final Christmas novella, The Haunted Man. The chemisty teacher takes his phantom up on this offer and discovers a hidden side effect–not only is he slowly forgetting his sorrows, he can cause others to forget their troubles as well. Does this sound like the greatest gift ever offered to man? Wouldn’t this produce a happy humanity blissfully ignorant of the bleak past that holds them back? Redlaw thought so, but he quickly discovers he’s wrong in his assumptions.

Instead of being carefree and happy, Redlaw loses all sense of compassion. He feels like he should be helping someone, but his clean slate of a mind doesn’t know why he should even bother. After all, if sorrows have no hold on him, why help those in need? The Chemist slowly becomes a stony presence and all who are affected by him slip into this attitude as well. In the end, this little story is about the value of pain and suffering, and the positive twist is delivered by Milly, a poor woman with a heart of gold.

On a couple of occasions Dickens uses Milly’s character to put forth his thesis. In one instance, Milly is addressing a struggling college student and notes, “…but for some trouble and sorrow we should never know half the good there is about us.” Just as fire purifies gold or forges steel, so sorrows can produce something in us. It’s really an inside look at someone to see how he/she responds to adversity. Where does one turn? How does one react? Troubles sharpen the goodness we experience elsewhere and brings out compassion for others who are also suffering. I have much more compassion on people suffering through cancer because of losing my dad to a brain tumor. I also have greater sympathy for those grieving from loss.

Later on, as Redlaw fights to regain his memories, Milly tries helping him see another aspect of sorrow’s good side. “May I tell you why it seems to me a good thing for us, to remember wrong that has been done us?” she asks. “That we may forgive it…would it not be a blessing to you to recall at once a wrong and its forgiveness?” Today, our society lives on seething anger. Everyone feels wronged for some reason or another and no one wants to forgive. But Jesus calls on Christians to forgive even as God forgave them. There is a beauty in forgiveness that is lost on our culture. Remembering our wrongs–not in a stewing way, but with a view of reconciliation–can produce feelings of love and forgiveness that simply forgetting or ignoring past sorrows can’t achieve.

As I read this story I struggled with how I felt regarding its theme. I think modern entertainment, when it explores this idea, tends to view the loss of troubled memories as a good thing, something that turns the person from a brooding figure into a carefree character. I’ve seen this on anything from Star Trek to The Flash. I think Dickens’ take is more realistic, however. He at least takes into account that just because one person may forget, it doesn’t erase all pain and sorrow. Sin’s effects still run rampant on the human race and if you try to ignore the fires that forge you, you don’t become softer, you turn into stone.

This is a sobering reminder for me, especially at the end of the year I’ve had. It’s easy for me to grow callous at the touch of trials when I should be seeking a lesson of love from it. Even Jesus learned from His temptations and trials on earth. In Hebrews 2:17-18, we are told that Jesus, through His suffering, is able to be a faithful and merciful high priest. He knows what it’s like to be weak, but He endured and didn’t grow cold. Redlaw had to fail and fall before he could see this, but there was grace even for him. May I not allow my troubles to drive me to the despair Redlaw felt! May all the sorrows I’ve endured throughout all of my life cause me to be soft and kind toward others.

And may you, in remembering your sorrows, have a Merry Christmas nonetheless!

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Quick Critique:

I had low expectations going into this (considering how The Battle of Life went), but I was pleasantly surprised by what I read. The message of the novella felt timely and it moves along at a fast enough pace. Redlaw could’ve been developed more before his big decision, but otherwise this may be my new favorite Christmas story from Dickens!