# The Superstitious Man’s Story explained — Short Fiction > Chapter companion for Short Fiction by Thomas Hardy. ## What happens The chapter recounts the eerie tale of William Privett, a silent and superstitious man whose death is foretold by supernatural signs: a heavy church bell, a vision of him entering the church on Old Midsummer Eve without returning, a miller-moth flying from his mouth as he dies, and a spectral appearance at a spring he had long avoided. The story is told by a group of villagers to the returning emigrant Mr. Lackland, and it ends with a transition to another tale about Andrey Satchel's wedding mishap. ## Themes in this chapter ### Superstition and Fate The chapter is steeped in folk superstitions, including the Midsummer Eve church porch vigil, the heavy bell as an omen, and the miller-moth as a soul, all pointing to an inescapable fate. ### Death and Mortality William Privett's death is foreshadowed by multiple supernatural signs, emphasizing the inevitability and mystery of death in rural life. ## Character check-ins ### William Privett The superstitious man whose death is preceded by supernatural omens; he is seen entering the church on Old Midsummer Eve and later dies while mowing, with a miller-moth flying from his mouth. ### Betty Privett William's wife; she witnesses his mysterious nighttime departure and later learns of the Midsummer Eve vision, confirming her fears. ### Nancy Weedle Daughter of Jim Weedle; she participates in the Midsummer Eve vigil at the church porch and reluctantly reveals that William was seen entering the church without returning. ### John Chiles A fellow mower who was with William when he died; he saw a miller-moth emerge from William's mouth and found him dead. ### Philip Hookhorn An old man who saw William's spectral figure at the spring at the exact time of his death, a place William had avoided since his son drowned there. ### Mr. Lackland The returned emigrant to whom the story is told; he listens to the superstitious tale and then requests the next story about Andrey Satchel. ## Key lines > Last night, being Old Midsummer Eve, some of us went to church porch, and didn’t get home till near one. Last night, on Old Midsummer Eve, a group of us went to the church porch and didn't return home until almost one in the morning. _Nancy explains why she looks tired, revealing the Midsummer Eve vigil._ > he saw one of those great white miller’s-souls as we call ’em—that is to say, a miller-moth—come from William’s open mouth while he slept, and fly straight away. He saw a large white miller-moth, which locals call a miller's soul, emerge from William's open mouth as he slept and fly directly away. _John Chiles witnesses the folkloric sign of William's soul departing at the moment of death._ > On inquiry, it was found that William in body could not have stood by the spring, being in the mead two miles off; and it also came out that the time at which he was seen at the spring was the very time when he died. Upon investigation, it was discovered that William's physical body could not have been at the spring, as he was in the meadow two miles away; moreover, the time he was seen at the spring coincided exactly with the moment of his death. _The supernatural appearance of William at the spring is confirmed to be a spectral vision occurring at his death._ ## Links - HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_53_se/chapters/the-superstitious-man-s-story - Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_53_se - All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_53_se/chapters