Themes

The supernatural

The supernatural is one of the main themes of Anne Billson’s postmodern short story “Born Again”. This theme is explored through Nancy, the main character, who absurdly becomes pregnant although she is a born-again virgin, which means she has not been sexually active in years. 

The supernatural aspect of the story is suggested when the narrative describes the unusual way in which the first attacker dies (p. 78, ll. 1-8). After Nancy finds out that she is pregnant, supernatural and mysterious events take place one after the other. Nancy is repeatedly attacked by mysterious men, but she always escapes unharmed, while the men die violent and unnatural deaths. Another supernatural event is the almost comically violent death of the medical staff members who prepare Nancy for her abortion (p. 87, ll. 7-11).

As Nancy ironically puts it, the ...