In Other Voices, Other Rooms, as in any good work of Southern Gothic literature, the supernatural has a big role. There are powers at work beyond what is visible to the naked eye: the devil, God, and magic are all fighting for a piece of the pie.
It's important to note that, generally speaking, the supernatural has a natural explanation in this novel by Truman Capote. What might seem inexplicable at first usually has rational explanation hinted at somewhere along the line. It just highlights the eeriness of the culture that many ordinary things seem like they could have ghosts and goblins behind the scenes.
Questions About The Supernatural
- What do you think keeps Little Sunshine living at the Cloud Hotel? Why wouldn't he rather move away from such a ghostly location?
- When Joel imagines, at the end of the novel, that he could be transported magically back to New Orleans, do you think he really believes it? Why or why not?
- Why does Randolph insist that the lady in the window is a ghost?
Chew on This
In Other Voices, Other Rooms, the supernatural is used to spread lies and deceit, covering up the actions of the characters.
Joel is foolish not to believe in the supernatural, because it is obviously working against him.