Describe symbolism in Outer Banks Mysteries and Seaside Stories by Charles Harry Whedbee

The tragedy of The Beckoning Hands is a common theme in popular ghost stories. In many versions of the story, the couple decide to play hide-and-seek on their wedding day, and the bride hides in a trunk, which locks shut. In such versions, the bride is at fault for behaving so foolishly and inappropriately. In this case, the guilt falls on the pirate, who incurs a curse through his cruelty, and who creates a family home with such dangerous traps for his enemies. It is especially appropriate that the cause of the girl's death is her father's piracy. Perhaps the reason such stories are so common is because of the poignant symbolism of something being destroyed at its own beginning. A skeleton in a wedding gown represents both hope for the future, and an ending of all hope. It also represents purity until death, much like a virgin sacrifice.