Ghost story narratives
Let us be introduced to the actors in a placid way; let us see them going about their ordinary business, undisturbed by forebodings, pleased with their surroundings; and into this calm environment let the ominous thing put out its head, unobtrusively at first and then more insistently, until it holds the stage.
M R James: Introduction for Ghosts and Marvels (1924)
So M R James sets out his structure for the ideal ghost story. It is a useful structure to apply to his two tales and the films to see whether they too match up with their originator's template.
