How does Wilkie Collins create a sense of mystery and suspense in the short stories you have studied?

Another technique used is that of sentence length. In “The Black Cottage” Collins uses short, purposeful sentences to create tension, suspense and excitement. Like when he goes into the kitchen and goes to sit on the window seat to rest, “suspense and excitement together were beginning to tell upon me” “I had not lost a particle of my resolution, but I was beginning to lose strength” “I drank a drop of it”. In contrast with this he uses long sentences to help calm the reader and create for them a sense of security. They also give the reader the feel of falling asleep “The last sounds I heard before I fairly dozed off to sleep were the cheerful crackling of the fire, the steady purring of the cat, as she basked luxuriously in the warm light on the hearth”. There is then a sudden short sentence on its own which creates the tension, “Then sound that woke me was a loud bang at the front door”. Another example of the use of sentence length is in “A Terribly Strange Bed”. Firstly there is the repetition of the word “then”, reflecting his boredom as he begins to fall asleep. This idea of falling asleep is again magnified by the use of long drawn out sentences relaxing the reader. Repetition is also used when it comes to the feathers in the painting, “three white, two green”…“three white, two green”. This is done to help make the reader remember it, as it is important later on in the story when they disappear as the sheet is moving down, this also gives some foreshadowing.

An example of the use of foreshadowing is shown in the mention of the old soldier. The way he is described instils in the reader a fear of this man and the idea that something bad is going to happen. Words used to describe this character are all negative like for instance “suspicious” “goggling, blood-shot eyes, mangy moustaches and a broken nose” 

Collins also demonstrates the use of tense changes. As in “A Terribly Strange Bed” when it changes to the present tense to make the reader share the character’s tension as if they are there with him. Making the emotions more real and adding to the sense of mystery and suspense that make these stories what they are. On the other hand, when we look at “The Black Cottage” there are no tense changes whatsoever. But if you take “The Ostler” tense changes are very much there. This technique is used by writers to involve the reader in the story. This can make you feel the emotions at a more personal level, leading the feelings of fear, mystery and suspense that Collins is trying to create, to be that more intense. This technique can affect the reader even if it’s only picked up on a subconscious level.