In the Victorian era many stories were based around the gothical theme. The story 'signalman' is a ghost story, it was written in 1866 by Charles Dickens. Another example of a gothic story is the 'red room', which is also a ghost story

The historical context of 'red room' is that it has been set in similar surroundings of that of a castle as shown in the example:

" The echoes rang up and down the spiral staircase, and a shadow came sweeping after me".

This quote demonstrates that the novel is a traditional ghost story, as traditional ghost stories would be expected to contain a setting of which of a big, empty and eerie building such as a castle. The 'signalman' is set at a railway line but the way Dickens describes to us the railway line makes us think of a castle as the example shows:

" So little sunlight ever found it's way to this spot, that it had an earthly, deadly smell".

Dickens thought of setting the story at a railway line, as the idea of trains was new and fresh. Dickens has set his story at a railway line as trains were new at the time and it was doubtable that many people would use the train as there were many breakdowns and accidents due to the under testing and health and safety precautions.

The story of 'redroom' argues about ghosts.

"Ay and eight-and- twenty years I have lived here and never seen a ghost".

This keeps the reader interested to say who is telling the truth and wondering.

In the 'signalman' the story continues as an ordinary story. Later in the story the signalman shares his work and how his life is. At the end there is a big bang of explosion as a ghost immobilising the signalman.

The writers keeps the interest of the reader by describing the settings and surroundings, the writers also keep the reader in suspense as the reader waits to be surprised and bedazzled.

"The long, draughty subterranean passage was chilly and dusty".

This phrase is from the novel 'redroom', it has the reader in a anticipating what will happen next thanks to the language Wells has used.

" The gloomier entrance to a black tunnel, in whose massive architecture there was barbarous, depressing and forbidding air".

The use of adjectives are used very effectively to describe the tunnel as they give you a bigger picture of the tunnel.

Wells and Dickens have tried to create traditional yet gothical stories set in castles. The setting of the novels is very important as this aids the stories in making the stories much more excitable and interesting. We get to know the characters by the language they use and how they use it. Also by what the narrator has to say about the characters. In the novel 'red room' the atmosphere is full of intensity, and what the old people have to say about the ghost is likely to be true. In the signalman there are only two characters one is of the narrator and the other is the signalman himself. The signalman expresses his feelings of depression. The narrator describes what the signalman is going through and how the narrator can assist.

The style and structure of the language spoken in the stories is important as in 'red room' the narrator speaks formally since he is surrounded by old people and is uninterested by what they say.

"If you will show me this haunted room of yours, I will make myself comfortable".

He speaks politely so he is not interrupting the humorous stories that are being shared between the old people. In the 'signalman' the signalman is formal at first, he then speaks to the narrator in a very doctorial manner.

"It is very difficult to despair, sir"

He later says

"Now, mark this and judge how my mind is troubled".

The signalman has got to know the narrator and trust him therefore he is speaking informally. In both stories there is narration rather than a load of dialogue, in the both stories the narrators are describing what is happening at the present time.

In conclusion I would say the 'signalman' is a good mystery because of the language Dickens uses and the theme of the story. The way in which Dickens uses to trick the reader into thinking the story has moved on to a castle from being set at a railway line is very interesting and pleasing to the reader. The signalman is a very interesting novel as during the middle of the novel you don't know for sure whether there are two signalmen or if one of them is in actual fact a ghost. The context of the story makes it difficult to understand. The novel 'red room' is an ordinary ghost story, which is astonishing as the language and context are also difficult to understand. It is also like a new style ghost story that has a traditional theme.