Ghosts from Our Past: Both Literally and Figuratively

So much discussion of the new “Ghostbusters” has centered on the Ghostbusters themselves, and particularly on their gender, that we have forgotten about the ghosts. And yet ghosts are so rich in metaphorical significance. In the reboot, Melissa McCarthy and Kristen Wiig’s characters have co-authored a book called “Ghosts from Our Past: Both Literally and Figuratively.” The title invites us to ask: What fears and desires do the ghosts represent? What spaces do they haunt? What is signified by their eventual bustedness?