To believe or not to believe in phantoms, that is the question many consider to be a derogatory question to ask.

Phantoms are a works of a persons imagination or maybe they are not, whatever the case may be, its interpretation is very broad. In the short story Phantoms, the author discusses various cases where a different age group came in contact with a ghost and their reaction in the scene. Some believe that phantoms are there to teach lessons in an indirect way, while some others believe that they are just a works of a persons imagination where feelings and desires can get in the way of interpretation. One can argue that phantoms can help people face their fears, or maybe even fulfill a wanted longing, help some keep their guard up in terms of protecting others, or help fill avoidance. On the second case study in this short story, Karen Carstens encounter with phantoms has changed her life in a positive way. For a single lady living alone with her pets, one can only imagine the lack of love and attention she is getting. In her case, phantoms have helped her create this imagination of a what-if situation, she did not have any children, she did not have a significant other, so this creation was her way of making up a family that she could have possibly had. Her lips are dry, and she is filled with an excitement so intense that she thinks she might burst into tears. (Page 215) The author carefully explained the feelings and emotions that Ms. Carsten was experiencing during this time to help the reader understand that sometimes the idea of seeing phantoms doesnt necessarily have to be a negative one all the time. While some argue that phantoms are real, it is mostly children that have this misunderstanding because they lack knowledge and experience. Children only have so many years of experience, they have not quite yet adjusted their way of understanding what could be real and what couldnt. Some parents use the its just a bad dream excuse to help their child get over this frantic idea, while others simply overlook it and hope that the child can outgrow that

bad dream. Not helping these children understand the meaning of why some people encounter a phantom can leave a child traumatized and living in fear. On the 4th case study in this short story, a little girl by the name of Evvy goes through this fear, and she is so traumatized that she is unable to speak about it to her parents. She can hear her mothers footsteps in the room. Her mother is knocking on the closet door. Please come out of there Evvy. I know youre in there. She does not come out.(Page 224) In this passage, the author is letting the reader know that fear is what Evvy is experiencing, going back to the how phantoms are a figure of imagination based on feelings and desire. Maybe Evvy does not like phantoms, and she could be scared of the idea, and actually coming into an encounter with one has left her with nightmares and sleepless nights. Fear can be problematic not only to children but to adults as well, it can leave the person feeling uncomfortable, paranoid, and constantly scared of possibly seeing another phantom. Desires can bring on many different feelings, as already discussed, the author also talks about the famous Phantom Lorraine story that most parents have told their children sometime during their childhood. This story is contrary to the one in the 4th case study because there is no fear involved, but happiness among the children. This can symbolize the desire of making new friends as children create that imaginary friend using their creativity when they dont want to be left alone. The little phantom girl spends more and more time with the human family, who love her as their own. (Page 226) Back to the symbolizing of phantoms with desire and feelings, the author does efficiently explain this idea with the different context of stories and how its people are affected. The symbol behind phantoms and what people perceive them to be is open for interpretation, but the key point is that they are a universal symbol. Having such power means that phantoms are understood in any culture, but the question is how they are understood? Basic

grammar rules state that symbolism is an object that represents something else. In the Phantoms short stories, phantoms are seen to represent feelings and desires. In the first case study, the father has a desire to protect his daughter and make sure nothing happens to her. This leads to the feeling of anger when encountering a phantom and the author describes that in how this feeling came in a sense of a reflex because he was being overprotective. In the other case studies the author explains how different scenarios lead to different type of reactions in terms of feelings and how the person handles the situation. Phantoms are not seen as a harmful being, but rather they symbolize this much bigger aura in terms of what the person is left with after coming in contact with one. Many people are left with the idea that ghosts or phantoms are not pleasant creatures to come across, but after reading this short story, the author may hope that the readers take away that phantoms are imaginative creatures that can symbolize a desire. Its difficult to know exactly what we feel about phantoms, but I think it is fair to say that in the moment we see them, before were seized by a familiar emotion like fear, or anger, or curiosity, we are struck by a sense of strangeness, as if were suddenly entered a room we have never seen before, a room that nevertheless feels familiar. (Page 230) The author concluded with this passage because it helps explain that phantoms leave people with a better sense of understanding, or maybe even appreciating the things that they can or cannot have. Readers might take away that sometimes phantoms are not just associated with people that are deceased or the national holiday Halloween. Phantoms can bring that little feeling that one might wonder about, and if anything, using all the different contexts in this short story sure does explain how phantoms can symbolize more than one can imagine.