# The Day Before explained — In the Midst of Life > Chapter companion for In the Midst of Life by Ambrose Bierce. ## What happens Two early morning passengers, Marsh and Colston, engage in a heated debate about the proper conditions for reading a ghost story. Colston insists that his work requires solitude, night, and candlelight to evoke fear, and criticizes Marsh for reading it in a distracting streetcar. The argument escalates, leading to a challenge where Marsh agrees to read one of Colston's manuscripts alone in a deserted house that night. ## Themes in this chapter ### Illusion vs. Reality Colston argues that the emotional impact of a ghost story depends on the reader's willingness to suspend disbelief and create a receptive mental state, blurring the line between fiction and genuine fear. ## Character check-ins ### James R. Colston A writer of ghost stories who argues passionately for the reader's duty to create the proper mood for his work. ### Marsh A plain business man who challenges Colston's claims about the conditions needed to read a ghost story. ## Key lines > In solitude—at night—by the light of a candle. There are certain emotions which a writer can easily enough excite—such as compassion or merriment. I can move you to tears or laughter under almost any circumstances. But for my ghost story to be effective you must be made to feel fear—at least a strong sense of the supernatural—and that is a difficult matter. Colston insists that a ghost story requires specific conditions—being alone, at night, with only a candle—to truly evoke fear, unlike other emotions that can be stirred anywhere. _Colston emphasizes the unique demands of supernatural fiction._ > You would not dare—you have not the courage. You are brave enough to read me in a street car, but—in a deserted house—alone—in the forest—at night! Bah! I have a manuscript in my pocket that would kill you. Colston taunts Marsh, claiming he lacks the nerve to read a ghost story in a truly isolated setting, and boasts that his manuscript is powerful enough to be lethal. _Colston challenges Marsh's courage, setting up the story's central dare._ ## Links - HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/in_the_midst_of_life_se/chapters/the-day-before - Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/in_the_midst_of_life_se - All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/in_the_midst_of_life_se/chapters