ABSTRACT
The primary reconciler is the Dean who places second sight in proper perspective as the sign of the Scottish cultural spirit which is an inward focus on the passions rather than outward materialism. Gunn focuses on the theme of second sight as a challenge to mundane perception, which is essentially the guiding principle for writers who used supernatural folklore before him as well. Inquiring into the psychological, rational, and spiritual aspects of folklore in Second Sight continues cultural dialogues in science as well as within literature, particularly in works of the folkloric fantastic such as the pseudoscience of Le Fanu's Dr. Hesselius or Carleton's attempts to reconcile certain superstitions with scholastics. This chapter presents metaphorical and folkloric resonance of second sight not only expresses tensions between English and Scottish culture but also provides an overview for the function of folklore in the literary fantastic among the various works.
