Although varied in their subjects, a good many of them involve professors and antiquarians, either conducting research or else on holiday, who stumble upon some ancient text, cryptic stained-glass window, or mysterious artifact. The whistle at the center of "Whistle and I'll Come To You" is perhaps the most famous, with its two inscriptions in Latin: Quis est iste qui vent ("Who is this who is coming?") and Fur fla bis fle ("Thief, blow twice, go mad"). But wait -- saying anything more would ruin the story!
One of the reasons that James's tales have had such staying power is that their brief, economical structure made them ideal for adaptation to the new medium of television, with nearly fifty separate versions of various tales, including episodes of Night Gallery, Mystery and Imagination, Omnibus, and Ghost Stories for Christmas (with Christopher Lee). "Whistle and I'll Come To You" has actually been done twice by the BBC. The first was in 1968 starring Michael Hordern (a veteran character actor whom some may recall as Vincent Price's first victim in 1973's Theatre of Blood); the second, made in 2010, features John Hurt. The different ways in which each is handled tell us something about the durability of James's stories, as well as the way a director's mind works -- what's the essence of the story? Is there another angle which could open it up to a fresh treatment? And for the actor, who has the challenging task of portraying a rational, educated man faced with something no rational mind could grasp, there's certainly a lot of great material in James's Professor Parkin; personally, I think Hordern captures it best -- a man perpetually on the edge of knowing what to do, shunned a little for his awkwardness, brilliant but easily perplexed. In this class, though, it's you who will be the judge!
Please choose one of these discussion questions and post your answer below:
The changes can be shown as a loner type of person who is different from the others in this case thinking he is of more intellect than the others. The professor also comes off as he is greater than everyone he meets. That he knowns all. He walks into the hotel blowing straight past the check in desk and just starts screaming for someone. Then when he was finally checked in, he waited for someone to grab his bags for him. He comes off as someone who cant do anything for himself and needs the satisfaction of someone as his hand and foot at all times.
ReplyDeleteIn my perspective, the extra bed in the beginning of the film signified that someone/something was going to take up that extra bed space, meaning the ghost that would be released from the whistle. It seems as though Parkins is a little uncomfortable at the fact that there is another bed in the room, which also foreshadows the events that would transpire. However, I had a hard time understanding what Parkins and Roger had exchanged with each other, maybe due to the slight pronunciation difference or my computer audio not being held to the proper standards. They banter swiftly back and forth about the truth saying, "truth, as you always tell us, is never offense". I think the significance between the truth is that although it is not offensive, it is terrifying.
ReplyDelete-Ava Perry
Ava, a thoughtful comment! Interesting that you are listening to the story via audio! I think the thing with Rogers is the vague insinuation that his occupying the spare bed would either be too intimate or maybe just too annoying to the Professor -- who is being teased, as he has a reputation for always telling the precise truth.
DeleteI would say that the Professor blew the whistle out of pure curiosity- it’s human nature. He wanted to see if it would work, what sound it would make, maybe even for the curiosity that something would occur if he blew it. What I find interesting is that in the BBC film version, the professor is clearly grave robbing and he still decided to take the whistle whereas in the reading, it was more hinted at a church ruin, not necessarily a graveyard (correct me if I’m wrong). The professor in the film version seems much more entitled compared to the reading where he at least seems more modest and respectful to others, even described as “scrupulously polite and strictly truthful”. In the film version, he is shown to almost disregard others and keep to himself because he feels that he is better than them.
ReplyDelete- Hannah Parker
In this reading I think that Parkin’s curiosity gets the better of him. Although he is supposed to be at dinner he was exploring a shore and finds a long whistle. When he realizes the time he rushes to get to his dinner plans and looks at the whistle later that night. While he was checking it out he blows the whistle and starts to see figures in his head and then finds the second bed in his hotel room looks as if it was slept in. At first I thought maybe that Parkins was imagining the things in his head but I was puzzled when I read the part about the second bed. As I started to read more, I was pulled farther into the story when the boy was frightened by a supposed figure waving from Parkin’s window. I found it very eerie that the second bed in the room was all tangled once again after nobody had been in the room after the maid cleaned. Then I read the part where Parkins had an encounter with a linen dressed figure. I imagined myself in his shoes for a minute and did not know what I would do in that situation.
ReplyDeleteThe ghost formlessness suggests that supernatural cannot be easily defined or understood within the constraints of human perception and reason. It can take on different forms depending on an individual beliefs. Parkins's skepticism are presented as barriers to his acceptance of the supernatural. He constantly dismisses superstitions. Altogether, what one individual might perceive as terrifying, another may not. Fear has the capability to transform and manifest itself differently for each person.
ReplyDeleteIn the beginning of the story Rogers tells Parkins that “truth, as you always tell us, is never offensive.” referring to if Parkins cared or minded that he stay with him at the Globe inn. Rogers then goes on to poke fun at Parkins for not believing in the supernatural. I think the significance of this conversation between the two is that we see Parkins personality as logical and straightforward which ties into the fact that he does not believe in ghosts. I think another important piece in their conversation was the mention of truth and Parkins firm belief that it is not offensive. I think his firm belief in the truth is ironic because in the story when the boy was startled Parkins tries to find any logical reasoning behind how his room had been tampered with not thinking that it could be something supernatural. I think Parkins was in some way scared of what the truth would actually entail and thus why he had a logical way of thinking because he is scared of the unknown. He didn’t want to face the truth or the idea that ghosts might actually be true and it isn’t until he comes face to face with the ghost where he finally believes.
ReplyDelete- Ashley Hernandez
In “Oh Whistle, and I’ll come to you, my lad”, the professor blows the whistle out of curiosity and skepticism. It is a crucial event that sets off the chain of supernatural occurrences and forms a pivotal moment in the narrative. The blowing of the whistle challenged this professor’s skepticism which was unusual for him since he was not very opened minded. This brought him in to encounter the supernatural occurrences. This film started out quite slow and it took a while to get a little interesting. I am not one to like older films and had a hard time understanding the actors at some points in the film but overall I liked how the professor was a person that was a well-educated man who thought literal and this story made him think a bit outside of the box.
ReplyDelete- Rebecca Fyrer
DeleteIn my opinion, the film cast the professor to be more strange than I originally thought he was based on the story. By not playing golf or sitting with the other guests at dinner, Parkins seems to be more in his own world. He does not befriend the colonel like he does in the story which makes him seem less personable in the film. Another difference I thought was interesting that the film did not include was the little boy who said he saw someone waving at him through the window. This part solidifies the fact that the professor does not believe in the supernatural before his encounter with the ghost.
ReplyDeleteIn this reading I think before the whistle was found and blown the extra bed is mentioned to symbolize a possible disturbance or interference into Parkins' peace of mind. The conversation between Parkins and Rogers and the phrase "the question of truth" could be related to the story's doubt theme and concerns about the accuracy of personal experiences in the story. But while the professor blows the whistle out of curiosity and perhaps a desire to prove his doubt. He wants to investigate the mysterious appearance of the bedsheet figure he saw outside his window.The fact that the ghost can only take on the form of a sheet suggests a limitation in its manifestation. This limitation reflects the idea that fear and the supernatural are often shaped by our own perceptions and beliefs. Parkins' doubt may have prevented him from seeing a more elaborate ghostly form, highlighting the influence of one's mindset on encountering the supernatural.
ReplyDeleteThe fact that the ghost cannot be seen, and only takes shape in the form of something that cannot be seen ties all of it together. Parkins' skepticism of something such as a ghost only exists purely because he cannot see it. When the second bed is disturbed by the ghost he doesn't really take much thought to it other than being embarrassed the following morning with the maids. Even then, his skepticism exists. Only when he is encountered by the ghost in the form of a sheet, does his skepticism fall, and he believes in the paranormal. Fear takes shape in the same manner, though it is not palpable, it can form anywhere, anytime, and from anything.
ReplyDelete- Garet Reilly
Well-said!
DeleteI think the extra bed was supposed to symbolize loneliness and fear. There are two beds in the hotel room, and Professor Parkins seems afraid to be left alone at the hotel with a second bed that is unused. Sometimes being alone makes you feel afraid and unsafe. It reminds me how sometimes people feel afraid to be by themselves in a room without anyone familiar with it or being out in the dark alone. The conversation with Rogers and Professor Parkins, it feels like Rogers is trying to make Parkins less alone by staying with him in the hotel. When Rogers said “Truth, as you always tell us, is never offensive.” I think he means it's okay to admit that you're afraid or say how you're really feeling. Like the saying “The truth will set you free” that by not telling the truth, it could become a burden if it's not said out loud. -Jessyca Iswanto
ReplyDeleteThe Professor once he discovers the whistle becomes intrigued by its design and seems curious to blow the whistle since he is an archaeologist he seems to want to blow the whistle for more of an academic curiosity. . After it didn’t work the first time because of the dirt that is stuck in it he eventually cleans it and blows on it again to hear a soft note that seems to go for miles. Parkins enjoyed the noise of the whistle and after blowing on it the first time he saw a vision of a dark windy expanse with a lonely figure in the middle. The Professor blows on it a second time but the noise is the same each time which eventually leads to the eerie and paranormal events that follow Professor Parkins while he is away on the golf trip.
ReplyDeleteThe story's narrator, Parkins, a young "Professor of Ontography" at Cambridge University, is on a golfing vacation in the town of Burnstow, stumbles upon a whistle when golfing with his colleges. The whistle had Latin phrase "QUIS EST ISTE QUI UENIT,” written on the side which Parkins translates as "Who is this who is coming.” Parkins blows the whistle out of curiosity and then there is an abrupt gust of wind outside his window, he then sees a lone figure in the dark. After witnessing the ghost Parkins is unable to sleep at night and continues to have nightmares about this creature. - Katherine Arthurs
ReplyDeleteWhile reading these ghost stories I can not help but notice a trend. The familiar plot device that an astute character who has been warned of the supernatural dangers then proceeds to act on said supernatural danger as a form of rationalistic spite. In “Whistle and I'll come to you” this exact interaction occurs. Where the professor who simply does not believe in ghosts blows the highly cursed whistle as if to prove that the whole notion is ridiculous. Of course this then later becomes the main conflict of the story. This plot device has been used over and over again to drive the narrative, because a rational serious man is more likely to take the risk than a nervous superstitious one. This is what I believe parrales Parkin’s work with Poe’s, as Poe had also used these types of ignorant characters to further propel the plot, such as “The Fall of the House of Usher” that which requires the family to maintain their lives in the house despite the ever looming feeling that they should leave. In both stories if the characters chose to listen to their instincts there would be no story, and what’s the fun in that?
ReplyDeleteAnswer to question 3- Why does the professor blow the whistle?
ReplyDeleteThe professor was so curious about the whistle and especially intrigued by the letters on the whistle and never thought anything would come out of blowing the whistle. The city he was at also encouraged him to blow the whistle because he had never seen a city still awake at that time of the night. Roger told him earlier about the stories of the ghosts that he was ready for anything unusual.
Ololade Ojekunle
Shortly after the professor encountered the whistle, he started to examine it more in detail and saw legends on the whistle. He was uncertain of these legends, and found them mysterious which struck his curiosity. He was able to make out one of the legends which said “Who is this who is coming?”. He blew the whistle because his discovery behind the meaning of one the legends made him feel intrigued to find out who was coming.
ReplyDelete-Elena Ruggieri
I found interesting the detail that at first the professor had completely forgotten about the whistle he found. Later on he decides to clean it an finds the inscriptions. One of which he doesn't quite understand and the other one intrigues him. In my opinion, that's one of the main reasons why the professor decided to blow th whistle. He also did it because as we can see at the beginning when he was talking with Mr Rogers, he expresses that he doesn't believe in ghosts. We can see it when he says "‘—I hold that any semblance, any appearance of concession to the view that such things might exist is equivalent to a renunciation of all that I hold most sacred."
ReplyDeleteOn a golfing vacation, the professor discovers a whistle that intrigues him and decides to pocket it. When he arrives back to his hotel room, he cleans and examines the whistle which revealed a Latin inscription "Quis est iste que venit" which stands for "who is this who is coming?". The professor chooses to blow the whistle which unleashed a series of supernatural forces. I think the professor blew the whistle out of his own skepticism to find out "who is coming".
ReplyDelete-Nicollette DeFusco
DeleteI believe the professor blew the whistle due to his curiosity. When discovering the whistle, he never thought anything of it but that it looked very intriguing then to find out there was more to the whistle then assumed.Overall, I believe the author challenges our over imagination verses reality throughout this story. Kaleigh Hopkins
ReplyDeleteAnswering to question 3-
ReplyDelete"Why does the professor blow the whistle?"
The professor blew the whistle utterly because there was no belief that any sound would actually be produced from the whistle itself. The design of the object was quite intriguing to the professor. It was quite interesting to read once the professor had blown the whistle
I really enjoyed reading this story. The professor is in awe by his discovery of the whistle, very intrigued as to what it does. He is an archaeologist so this curiosity is normal and common for him. He is observing the whistle very questionably, he blows into it to see what happens to only experience it not working from having so much dirt inside it. He makes a second attempt and out comes a low noise. He is amused but then feels and sees a strong wind, with a possible ghost/ spirit in the middle. He blows on the whistle again and now that lonely figure is demonstrating more paranormal things. I believe that is a paranormal spirit because it follows professor Parkins after this experience. Since the professor does not believe in ghosts, him being cursed is kind of like a parallel plot for the story. It took for the ghost/ spirit to reveal himself with a sheet, in order for the professor to believe this was paranormal. Fear can heighten sense, emotions, and visuals, making things scarier at any moment. There’s also some repetition in these stories, absurd characters following instincts
ReplyDelete-Emily Torrez
I believe the professor blew the whistle because he didn't believe that anything would come of it. With the city also encouraging him he believed that he had to do it. He was so intrigued with the whistle and couldn't believe that a sound was produced.
ReplyDeletegeneveve provencial
I think the professor blew the whistle because he didn’t think any sound would come from it. Clearly, more than just sound came from it. The city also wanted him to blow the whistle which also factors into why he did it. johnna
ReplyDeleteProfessor Parkins, the main character in M.R. James's novel "Oh, Whistle, and I'll Come to You, My Lad," discovers an ancient and peculiar whistle on the shore. Out of curiosity and innocence, he blows the whistle. He doesn't anticipate any specific repercussions from doing so at first. But this seemingly harmless deed starts a chain of paranormal activities and hauntings that eventually become the main theme of the novel. James writes about terror in a straightforward manner, leaving much to the reader's imagination. Instead of outright describing the supernatural being, he gives readers enough cues to create their own horrifying visions.
ReplyDeleteI feel as though Professor Parkins blew the whistle as a result of his own skepticism of the supernatural. At the start of this story, Parkins is shown almost making fun of Rogers for joking about the supernatural, saying that they are "above" that kind of stuff. However, many events throughout the novel such as finding the Templar preceptory ruins that were said to be near the hotel, the dark and eerie weather that was consuming the sky, and the eerie messages that were found on the whistles. Once Parkins blew the whistle, all of his newfound suspicions began to surface throughout the rest of their stay at the hotel. - Sofia Rosa
ReplyDeleteAs night falls, the professor experiences a series of eerie and unsettling events in his lonely hotel room. The story skillfully builds a sense of dread and psychological horror as the professor becomes increasingly haunted by a malevolent presence. James' tale is celebrated for its atmospheric tension, the psychological unraveling of the protagonist, and its effective use of the supernatural to create a chilling and memorable ghost story.
ReplyDelete