Introduction
Joseph Addison was one of the greatest essay writers. His essay ‘Popular Superstitions’ is testimony to his calibre. This essay highlights the prevalence of superstitions in society, which becomes a cause of extra distress in life.
Main Ideas
- One Dirty Fish spoils the whole pond – The essay starts with the atmosphere of the house of one of the writer’s acquaintances, where the writer went to have dinner. The whole house was filled with gloominess due to some ominous dream seen by the lady of the house. The lady is so superstitious that she made her husband and children believe in baseless prognostics and visions. She makes sure that the whole family follows her instructions in such situations.
- Block off a day from doing something – The lady of the house stops his child from joining hands on Childermas Day on Thursday. She asks him to tell his master to organize that on Friday. She says ‘Thursday!” says she. “No, child; if it please God, you shall not begin upon Childermas day”. Addison has very smartly observed that superstitious people often reduce days in a week for doing a specific task due to superstitious fears.
- Blame of superstition on others – There is often seen with superstitious people that they can make anyone a culprit for their misfortune. In the essay, the writer mistakenly drops salt on the table while passing it to the lady, and she reacts as if he has committed a crime. She says, “My dear, misfortunes never come single”. She makes the writer feel as if he has brought disaster on the family. The writer also understood that she regarded him as a very odd kind of fellow, with an unfortunate aspect.
- Connect two indifferent incidents – To prove their Superstitious fears right, superstitious people connect two indifferent incidents. As in the essay, the lady on falling salt by the writer connects it to the previous time when it happened, then the pigeon nest fell in their house, and news of the Battle of Almanza came afterwards.
- Game of adverse and favourable situations – Superstitious people can be extremely panicked for a moment, and a slight change in situation may turn them highly happy. The writer mentions an incident in the essay when an assembly of a few people found that they were thirteen in the room, and suddenly the ladies started to have panic attacks. A few of them were about to leave the room to change the unfortunate number as fear of death was looming large on them, then suddenly, a clever observer among them made them acknowledge that they are fourteen, as one lady is pregnant. This changed the whole scenario, and the fear of death was converted to the happiness of birth.
- People who spread Superstitions – There are people in society who seem to have only one task throughout the year, i.e., spreading superstitions. They keep producing ‘infinite disturbances’ in their friends and neighbours. The writer also mentions an aunt who constantly “forebodes and prophesies from one end of the year to the other”.
- Unnecessary stress – These superstitious fellows not only bring stress in their lives but also make others’ lives full of ‘impertinent terrors’ and ‘supernumerary duties’. These unnecessary fears are additional ones, except for the genuine concerns in life, and we bring them into our lives and make ourselves more miserable. The writer very genuinely writes that for such Superstitious fellows, it invokes unnecessary troubles as “natural calamities of life were not sufficient” for them. These people can develop a dreadful fear of unimportant things like rusty nails and crooked pins.
- Reason for the writer doesn’t fear superstitions – Addison, at the end of the essay, explains why he doesn’t fear superstitions. He writes that he has a friendship with someone special who always keeps an eye on him. Who knows when and how death will come to the writer, and he will comfort him in such situations. Writers have full faith in this fellow friend. He is talking about God. Hence, the writer’s trust and belief in God make him free of Superstitious fears. He knows there is someone who takes care of him, so why should he take the toll?
Belief against superstition
The writer shows his belief in God, and this makes him not think about Superstitions. Hence, he has tried to separate belief in God from superstitions. For him, having trust in God is not Superstition. But in a way, he is making this life more favourable to himself by thinking of God taking care of him. It keeps him free of stress and fears. It is quite similar to the situation where number thirteen was unfortunate, and fourteen was comforting. God is number fourteen for the writer who doesn’t feel fear of life.
Language
Addison has kept the language close to the common man. He has chosen such diction considering the topic dealing with such a common and rampant issue in society. Language is humorous when he mentions examples of different types of Superstitious people. It is ironic when he himself has a belief in God to ward off fears as a Superstitious person does.
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