Haunted Perception

One similarity I felt between the characterization in Dracula and "Mr. Justice Harbottle" was the way the paranormal experiences are presented in situations of isolation. In Dracula, Jonathan, Lucy, and Mina have their most vivid experiences with the 'monstrous' while on their own. When recounting their experiences, these characters find the borders of reality and dreaming blurred. Le Fanu employs similar glimpses of the personal link to the beyond. By presenting paranormal experiences to characters in isolation, Le Fanu is also able to highlight the way secrecy affects the credibility of the encounters.  Judge Harbottle's haunting can also be analyzed as a reflection of his repressed anxieties by providing a commentary on the effects of secrecy that accompanied the lives of the powerful.