Responding to some questions

I had intended to sort these, to put similar or idential questions together, but haven't had time, partly because I found myself pursuing some research on the authorship question. What I'd like to do is give everybody a few minutes to read through these and mark a few questions you think worth talking about. If you think, yes, let's talk about it, put a mark in the left-hand margin next to it.

• Why go through the trouble of crediting Mrs. Bargrave as a credible source?
• What are fits? I've seen writing about this before- is it just a sexist term to discredit women?
• Defoe tells this ghost story and tries to make the story appear as a work of fiction. I am wondering if many 18th century writers wrote about ghosts or supernatural forces like Defoe? Was this type of writing popular in the 18th century, or was Defoe one of the first to write ghost stories?
• I wonder what reaction Defoe's audience would have had? It seems like the majority of people would have strong religious beliefs, so reading this ghost story must have been shocking/exciting for them, especially when considering the ideas of morality and faith in the work.
• To my understanding, well actually I’m guessing, there weren’t many writings like this one in the 18th Century. I am wondering if Defoe was purposely trying to create a whole new genre, a new reading topic for the people. What audience was he trying to communicate this to? It seems to make sense; I mean even if the “ghostly story” offended the religious it wouldn’t have stopped him—Defoe didn’t seem to care much about his reputation.
• What exactly was Drelincourt’s book? Is there a purpose for Defoe’s reference to it?
• I read that the Apparition of Mrs. Veal was a story that had been written about previously, and published in news papers before Defoe had written it. I'm wondering if his work became famous because it reads more like a story, and isn't simply a re-telling of the events.
• Did the story actually happen? The accounts were published in newspapers, but did Mrs. Bargrave actually see her dead friends ghost? Or was the original story also a fake?
• I have already addressed many questions on this work in previous posts and in class. There is one that I have yet to explore and that is the question of style and standards of writing. Defoe uses many run-on sentences and improper contractions and I would like to know why he would do this and if there was any sort of editing process at this time.
• What stuck out to me was that the speaker was clearly a character, I don't think it is actually Defoe because he goes on a lengthy explanation trying to legitimize his friend Mrs.Bargrave. So, why would Defoe write this?! What is the purpose of this story? It can't be to merely write a little "ghost story"and publish it. In fact, I dont even find it to be that great of a ghost story, its pretty commonplace.
• There is a scholarly article out there that suggests Defoe didn't write this at all. Did he, or not? I also read that there is a theory that Drelincourt's Consolations Against the Fears of Death has a lot of meaning in this story (as in, maybe Defoe wrote this simply to market that book).
• Essentially my question is: Why would Defoe write this?
• There are many parts in the short story that are very detailed and specific. An example would be, “Mrs. Veal complied with, till their lips almost touched, and then Mrs. Veal drew her hand across her own eyes, and said, “I am not very well,” and so waived it” (Defoe, 2). This visual imagery is a great technique Defoe uses but it makes me wonder if the story is based on actual events?
• what is the purpose of the story?  Why/how would Defoe have thought to write about this story?
• I’m wondering if instead of wondering how factual (or to which extent) this story is "true," if it wouldn't be more helpful to wonder how sincere narrator is? (What I really mean behind the word “sincere,” is both how plausible the story sounds to a reader, but also how a reader reacts to not having clear genre guidelines laid-out by the author. And subsequently, what effect this has on the reader’s perception of the story.
• This story fits nicely in the same category as A Journal of the Plague Year but not so much with anything else we've read by Defoe. He seems to like to jump around between fiction and non fiction. It's rather annoying and confusing since the class is supposed to be about non-fiction.
• As far as questions that I have I'd really like to know if this is a short story, or a work of non-fiction? Is it written as an account from a woman whom has really had an encounter of this kind?
• Were the texts that Mrs. Veal requested to read famous or widely discussed texts. Defoe is being very specific with what they read, and some quotes from the texts so what exactly is his motive?
• We briefly discussed that Defoe was not the first person to publish this story. Thus, if it were possible to find another edition of this story what are some of the differences between the two? Did he mostly copy the former story? or did he also alter it in some way?
• I was wondering who is narrating the story and how close they are to the main character?
• What were Defoe's motives behind writing this story?
• I am wondering if it would be at all valuable to read this through a feminist lens? I notice there is much commentary on the "quality" of the men in this story, that is, they are barbarous, mean, unsupportive etc. Is this a commentary on the subordination of women back in the day or is it just merely a footnote, sort of a subtle detail about the men that was put in for an arbitrary purpose?
• Mrs Veal also gives an account of "Ascetick" and then talks about how that story had a strong Christian undertone, but that it was nothing like her day and age which had vain conversation and a lack of values. I am wondering if this is commentary on a lack of morals or an overall shitty society during Defoe's time? Something worth looking into for sure.
• “This thing has very much affected me. and I am as well satisfied, as I am of the best-grounded matter of fact. And why we should dispute matter of fact, because we cannot solve things of which we can have no certain or demonstrative notions, seems strange to me. Mrs. Bargrave's authority and sincerity alone, would have been undoubted in any other case.”
• I like this passage, because it seems to offer some clarity on Defoe's religious stance (that was ambiguous in Journal of the Plague Year). In the Journal, there were times when the narrator seemed religiously devout, while at other times, he seemed skeptical of religion's dominance. In my opinion, this passage defends Defoe's religious beliefs, in that he sees room for a Supernatural presence, that can't be ruled out of consideration, at a time when there was much doubt about such things.
• I think we should consider the role of Charles Drelincourt and his work Christian Defense Against the Fear of Death as it seems to be a great inspiration on Defoe for The Apparition of Mrs Veal being published. I think it would be worth looking at Protestant writers of the time (such as Drelincourt), and see if there was somewhat of a Catholic vs Protestant writing trend (similar to the Astrology/Religion feuds of Partridge and Swift perhaps?) Just a speculation...
• In The Apparition, is Defoe writing against scientific skepticism of religion? Or against Catholic traditions, opposing Protestant notions of the human's position relative to the Supernatural?
• I found that the story was told with a bit of a spooky air - more like an around-the-campfire, tongue-in-cheek kinds. Not that I felt that the author didn't believe the story - I can't really decide if he did or not - but it did feel like he had fun with it. He talks about this encounter being proof of an afterlife, and of a God who will give out justice to the wicked and bring glory to the faithful. What was so bad about Mrs Veal then, that she deserved to be stuck as an apparition, in a kind of purgatory? She said she was going on a journey, so does that mean she had a few days' wait before moving on ho heaven? Why? It's the only explanation I can come up with, because the author says several Times that "she was a very pious woman".
• Also, she is described as a maiden gentlewoman, but  referred to as "MRS" Veal. I don't really understand that one either. But it's just a minor detail I suppose
• I also couldn't help but laugh out loud when Mrs Veal gave her opinion on "Drelincourt's book of death" - of course he couldn't resist throwing that in. I also found it funny when her friend reassures her by saying "You look as well as I ever knew you" - it felt like another tongue in cheek moment thrown in by the author. From these discussions, I realize that she is much more than just an  apparition - they downright had afternoon tea together! She wasn't a ghost who was seen and then gone, she literally was there for several hours.
• I'm also curous what the superstition was at the time- why did Mrs Veal try so hard to avoid 'saluting' (kissing) her friend goodbye? Am I right in assuming that it would have been a death omen?
• What was her condition? “In this house, on the eighth of September, one thousand seven hundred and five, she was sitting alone in the forenoon, thinking over her unfortunate life, and arguing herself into a due resignation to Providence, though her condition seemed hard”
• Does she have an accent? “Why," says Mrs. Bargrave, "it is much better, methinks, to do it yourself.’”