Can Such Things Be? · Chapter
A Light Sleeper explained
John Hoskin's wife dies suddenly while visiting relatives in Springfield, Illinois.
What happens
John Hoskin's wife dies suddenly while visiting relatives in Springfield, Illinois. When her body is shipped to San Francisco, Hoskin discovers that the body's position has inexplicably changed from the original arrangement, leading him to suspect premature burial. Despite reassurances, the body shifts again when the casket is reopened, driving Hoskin to madness and eventual death in an asylum.
Themes in this chapter
Death and the Supernatural
The inexplicable movement of the corpse suggests supernatural forces at work, challenging the finality of death.
Madness and Perception
Hoskin's obsession with the changing position of the body leads to his psychological unraveling and institutionalization.
Guilt and Retribution
Hoskin's mistaken remorse over his wife's death and his accusations against the medical establishment result in his own downfall.
Characters to notice
- Mr. Hoskin
Devoted husband who descends into madness after his wife's body mysteriously changes position in its casket.
- Rev. Mr. Cummings
Mentioned as the physician who examined the body and pronounced life extinct.
Key passages
“The body was lying on the right side, the right hand under the cheek, the other on the breast. The posture was the perfectly natural one of a sleeping child”
The corpse was arranged in a peaceful, childlike sleeping pose with one hand under its cheek and the other on its chest.
Describes the initial state of the body that later changes.
“Removal of the lid disclosed a new horror: the body now lay upon its left side. The position was cramped, and to a living person would have been uncomfortable. The face wore an expression of pain.”
When the casket was reopened, the body had shifted to its left side in an awkward, painful-looking position, with a pained expression on its face.
The second change in the body's position, which deepens the mystery and horror.
“Overcome by his emotions, to which was now added a sharp, if mistaken, remorse, Mr. Hoskin lost his reason, dying years afterward in the asylum at Stockton.”
Overwhelmed by grief and guilt, Hoskin went insane and eventually died in a Stockton mental institution.
The tragic outcome for Hoskin, driven mad by the inexplicable events.