Beloved is a ghost story, the tale of the dead returned to haunt the living. The story comes complete with a haunted house, strange lights, scents and sounds, and an animal that can sense the presence of the supernatural. We know of the shattering mirrors, the tiny handprints appearing in the cake, the kettleful of chickpeas on the floor, "the outrageous behavior of that place . . . turned-over slop jars, smacks on the behind, and gusts of sour air" (3,4). The ghost has uncanny strength, otherworldly features, mysterious knowledge and unexplainable powers. Women in this novel are acutely attuned to the spirit world, and they take for granted the principles that spiritualism found so "new" and appealing. Sethe and Denver live intimately with the spirit of the dead, "For they understood the source of the outrage as well as they knew the source of light," and Sethe herself asserts that "nothing ever dies" (4, 36). We are told that Denver even finds the presence of the ghost comforting (37).
             The women themselves, in this novel, act as mediums, interacting directly with the supernatural realm: "Sethe and Denver decided to end the persecution by calling forth the ghost that tried them so. Perhaps a conversation, they thought, an exchange of views or something would help. So they held hands and said, 'Come on.'" (4). Sethe's intimate contact with the dead extends beyond the ghost of Beloved, and is seen also in her post-mortem communication with Baby Suggs. She speaks to the spirit of her mother-in-law, bringing about a physical manifestation, taking on the role of the medium: " 'Just let me feel your fingers again on the back of my neck' . . . Sethe bowed her head and sure enough -- they were there. Lighter now . . .but unmistakably caressing fingers . . . Baby Suggs' long-distance love was equal to any skin-close love" (95).
             The house itself acts as a medium,coming to life when animated by the spirit ...