Lit post 1

Jill Farinelli. The Palatine Wreck: The Legend of the New England Ghost Ship. University Press of New England, 2017.

https://ebookcentral-proquest-com.proxy.libraries.rutgers.edu/lib/rutgers-ebooks/detail.action?docID=4921990 

Farinelli describes the case of The Palatine wreck as well as future ghost ship sightings near the area of the wreck. She also describes legends, myths, and rumors about ghost ships and the Palatine ship, inquiring about the truth of what really happened to the crew, captain, and passengers of the ship when they landed on Block Island. She also mentions how writers helped keep the legend of the Palatine alive through stories and works of literature. 

Jill Farnelli graduated from William Smith College with a bachelors in American Studies and English. She moved to Boston in hopes of researching the rich history near the ocean in the New England area, where the Palatine ship landed in the past. 

Some key terms/concepts I found in the text were: Legends, spiritualism, and debunking

"What seems surprising about the Palatine Light is its persistence over more than two centuries, despite the debunking of the most violent aspects of the shipwreck legend" (Farinelli 148)

"Because there are so many variations to the legend of this wreck, I've included only those elements that had a wide circulation and have stood the test of time." (Farinelli 10)

"Because its first appearance coincided with the on-year anniversary of the Princess Augusta wreck, it has been connected to the disaster ever since." (Farinelli 141)

This case helps me understand how the truth about an event can be muddled by legend and literature about the event. The fact that there are so many versions about what actually happened to the Palatine, the truth is harder to uncover, as well as the fact that the event happened centuries ago. My research question generally asks how the truths of ghost ship events become unclear through the interest in the phenomena from writers.