There are four characters in the Red Room. These include the man with the withered arm, the old woman, the man with the shade and the main character who we do not know the name of, but who could be a duke as the previous duke is referred to as his predecessor. The three characters who seem to be named by disabilities add mystery by not being named and acting very peculiar. “It’s your own choice” the man with the withered arm says several times. This adds to the sense of mystery, as it’s as if he knows that something weird is going on and the man might not return alive tonight. The main character, who is unnamed, is certain that ghosts do not exist and that there is a much simpler explanation for the ghost, “that it will take a very tangible ghost to frighten me”, tangible meaning touchable. In the Signalman there are two main characters and a spectre, which whether you class it as an actual character or note, plays a part in this mystery story. The Signalman ignores the man interested in railways at first, as he believes he is just the spectre again. This is because he does the same actions as the spectre did when he appeared to the Signalman. “What made your cry, ‘Halloa! Below there!’ to-night?” this is one of the lines that helps to give the sense of mystery and starts to introduce the spectre. The person interested in railways, the narrator, doesn’t really add to the sense of mystery, as he is just there to examine the Signalman and not to add to the sense of mystery. In the Man with the Twisted Lip there are two main characters and three other important characters in the story. Sherlock Holmes and Watson are the two main characters as they are the two private investigators in this story of the missing man. The other three main characters that play important parts are Hugh Boone, Mrs St Clair and her missing husband Mr St Clair. Hugh Boone adds to the sense of mystery in this story as he is the only connection we have to the missing man Mr St Clair. He was the person in the room where Mr St Clair was last seen, and therefore is accused of having something to do with the disappearance. However, it turns out that Hugh Boone is Mr St Clair in disguise as a beggar, which completely flips the reader, as that would be the last explanation you would have expected when reading this story, “Let me introduce you,” he shouted, “to Mr Neville St Clair, of lee, in the county of Kent.”
In the Red Room the way in which the setting is described brings out the sense of mystery. Take for instance when the narrator is walking up the stairs he says “A bronze group stood upon the landing, hidden from me by the corner of the wall, but its shadow fell with marvellous distinctness upon the white panelling, and gave me the impression of someone crouching to waylay me”. This gives the impression that the place has an eerie feeling and is not the kind of place you would want to be alone in. Another thing that happens is that the candles keep putting themselves out when the man is on his own in the Red Room. This also gives the sense of mystery. The Man with the Twisted Lip’s setting has mystery added to it by the description. “A vile alley lurking” this gives us a sense of unpleasantness. This is one of a few descriptions used to show the dark and dingy places London has to offer. The Signalman’s mystery is not really added to by the description of the setting, but by the actions and words used and spoken in this story. However, there are some, “down in the deep trench,” that give a sense of the seclusion this Signalman must feel every day and this makes me think that this could be part of why he starts seeing the spectre.
In conclusion, I would say that I don’t feel that all the writers use these techniques in the same way. However, I do feel that the reader has a sense of ‘being on edge’ throughout each of these three well written stories. The Red Room keeps us thinking as to whether there is actually something there, as the candles go out on their own. The Man with the Twisted Lip keeps us thinking that Mr St Clair is dead and not actually Hugh Boone, which takes the reader by surprise. The Signalman keeps us on edge by making us wonder what each vision means and we as the reader are completely thrown when it turns out the Signalman is dead. I feel that the stories would not be of interest to the reader of today, as the language used in these stories is quite complex. However, I feel that the Man with the Twisted Lip is still interesting for readers of today as many people enjoy detective stories. I also prefer the Man with the Twisted Lip as I preferred the language used and the storyline, compared to others.
