Can Such Things Be? · Chapter
Staley Fleming's Hallucination explained
A physician is called to treat Staley Fleming, who suffers from hallucinations of a black Newfoundland dog with a white forefoot.
What happens
A physician is called to treat Staley Fleming, who suffers from hallucinations of a black Newfoundland dog with a white forefoot. The physician connects the dog to the late Atwell Barton, an old enemy of Fleming who was stabbed to death three years earlier. After a night of reading and reflection, the physician hears a crash and finds Fleming dying from a throat wound that appears to be from an animal's fangs, though no animal is present.
Themes in this chapter
Guilt and Retribution
Fleming's hallucination of Barton's dog and his mysterious death suggest a supernatural retribution for Barton's murder.
The Uncanny and the Grotesque
The recurring vision of a dog with a sinister expression and the fatal wound with no animal present evoke an uncanny, grotesque atmosphere.
Death and the Supernatural
The dog's appearance as a spectral entity and Fleming's death from an invisible animal's fangs blur the line between life and the supernatural.
Characters to notice
- Staley Fleming
The patient suffering from hallucinations of a black Newfoundland dog; dies from a mysterious throat wound.
- Dr. Dorrimore
The physician called to treat Fleming; identifies the dog as belonging to the late Atwell Barton.
Key passages
“I sent for you, Doctor, but I don't think you can do me any good. May be you can recommend a specialist in psychopathy. I fancy I'm a bit loony.”
Fleming admits he might be mentally unstable and seeks a psychiatrist.
Fleming's initial confession of his hallucination and his self-diagnosis of insanity.
“Three years ago the body of your old enemy, Atwell Barton, was found in the woods near his house and yours. He had been stabbed to death.”
The physician reminds Fleming that Barton was murdered three years ago.
The physician connects Fleming's hallucination to the unsolved murder of Atwell Barton.
“On the floor near the disordered bed, in his night clothes, lay Fleming gasping away his life. The physician raised the dying man's head from the floor and observed a wound in the throat.”
Fleming is found dying on the floor with a throat wound.
The mysterious death of Fleming, mirroring the supernatural threat he feared.