Of One Blood: Or, the Hidden Self

Mysticism and the supernatural recur as motifs throughout the story in relation to the Black characters. The supernatural imbues the worldview and cultural understanding of Black people, becoming an integral part of African American heritage. Mysticism and the supernatural often manifest in the form of ghosts and visions that mostly connect to the women in the story, and have a “haunting significance” (2). Reuel sees Dianthe in a vision before meeting her for the first time. As a spirit, Dianthe pleads with Reuel for help and liberation from suffering. The vision of Mira, Reuel and Dianthe’s mother, relates to the history of enslavement, which haunts the characters’ lives. Mira’s spirit demands justice for the oppression and abuse she endured, warning that all dark secrets will be revealed. Her apparition also shows Aubrey’s letter to Reuel, illuminating the conspiracy of murder. Women as spirits demand justice and liberation, as they remain oppressed, marginalized, and controlled in the real world.

Mystical powers and the significance of spirituality are also key in the Ethiopian culture of Telassar. Ai’s storytelling about the traditional African worldview counters Eurocentrism and establishes the narrative’s Black cultural perspective. For Ai, the supernatural is not magic but “a secret of Nature” (136). Reuel realizes that his mystical gifts are “the shadow of Ethiopia’s power” (117). It contrasts the materialism of the Western worldview and focuses on the inner self. Spiritual insight relates to things that people cannot see or address as Ai explains: “a sense of the supernatural always near us—others whom we cannot see, but whose influence is strong upon us in all the affairs of life” (134). Ai’s mystical powers and insight into the past, present, and the future reveal the reality to Reuel. Mysticism is also key in Aubrey’s punishment, becoming the characters’ only recourse for justice.