Can Such Things Be? · Chapter
A Jug of Syrup explained
Silas Deemer, a steadfast merchant of Hillbrook, dies in 1863 and is buried, but soon returns as a ghost to his store.
What happens
Silas Deemer, a steadfast merchant of Hillbrook, dies in 1863 and is buried, but soon returns as a ghost to his store. Alvan Creede, a local banker, attempts to buy a jug of syrup from the apparition, but the transaction is disrupted when a crowd storms the store in darkness, leading to chaos. Later, Creede's daughter reveals knowledge of the jug, confirming the supernatural event.
Themes in this chapter
Death and the Supernatural
Silas Deemer's death and subsequent ghostly return highlight the supernatural intrusion into the mundane world.
The Uncanny and the Grotesque
The apparition of a dead man conducting business and the chaotic mob scene evoke a sense of the uncanny.
Characters to notice
- Silas Deemer
The deceased merchant who returns as a ghost to his store, attempting to resume business.
- Alvan Creede
A respected banker who witnesses the ghost and attempts to buy a jug of syrup, later confronted by his daughter's knowledge.
Key passages
“Silas Deemer died on the 16th day of July, 1863, and two days later his remains were buried.”
Silas Deemer passed away on July 16, 1863, and was buried two days afterward.
Establishes the date and fact of Deemer's death.
“Yet if human testimony is good for anything (and certainly it once put an end to witchcraft in and about Salem) he came back.”
Despite being dead and buried, Silas Deemer returned, as confirmed by reliable witnesses.
Highlights the supernatural return and the irony of relying on testimony.
“The only thing that could be urged against him by the most censorious was a too close attention to business.”
The only criticism of Silas was his excessive dedication to his shop.
Characterizes Deemer's devotion to his store.
“To those inside all was black darkness. It was as if each person as he was thrust in at the door had been stricken blind...”
Inside the store, the crowd was plunged into total darkness, causing panic and chaos.
Describes the disorienting experience of those entering the store.
“The entries in it, in Deemer's handwriting, had ceased on the 16th day of July, the last of his life. There was no record of a later sale to Alvan Creede.”
The sales book showed no entries after July 16, and no sale to Alvan Creede was recorded.
Confirms the supernatural nature of Creede's transaction.
“And, papa dear, Eddy says mayn't he have the little jug when it is empty?”
Creede's daughter asks if Eddy can have the small jug after it's empty.
Reveals that the jug from the ghostly transaction is real and known to the children.