Discuss the ways in which Charles Dickens, Thomas Hardy and HG Wells create tension and suspense

Authors Avatar
Discuss the ways in which Charles Dickens, Thomas Hardy and HG Wells create tension and suspense IntroductionThe three stories written by Thomas Hardy, HG Wells and Charles Dickens all reflect and expose their personal attributions of the Victorian era. In the early 1900’s technology almost grew faster than population. Charles Dickens wrote The Signalman in response to his involvement in a train accident in which ten people were killed, ever since Dickens was a strong critic of the new cutting edge technology of the time.HG Wells wrote the Red Room. This story was written in the times of when the theme “gothic” entered Victorian literature. Lastly, Thomas Hardy wrote the withered arm. Thomas hardy was also fearful of the rapid revolution of industrial technology; he feared that the technologies could obliterate traditional rural life.The SignalmanThe Signalman is set in 1865, the time when the invention of trains was spreading all over the nation. The signal box along the line, where the story is mainly based, is very lonesome this alone adds curiosity to the reader as it was unusual for Dickens to set the story in a place where any life where to be seen.Dickens opens The Signalman, with words that are to be vital further on into the story “Halloa! Below there!” The Signalman reacts to this in a crude and sinister way as he ignores the narrator; this immediately makes the reader curios of the Signalman.Dickens gives the reader early indications of something supernatural at the beginning of the story. “Just then, a vague vibration in the earth and air changing into a violent pulsation” In this quote Dickens is describing a train passing down the line. He portrays the train as though it were an evil creature or monster. The tunnel, in which the train enters is also described negatively “the dismal mouth of the tunnel”. All of these negative connotations again reflect Dickens view on the modern railways. The Narrator goes on to describe the path in which he used to descend, and talk with the unexplainable signalman. “The cutting was extremely deep” we imagine the path as dangerous; the descriptions of it are as though he was entering an eerie dimension and leaving earth.The narrator approaches the Signalman, who is standing mysteriously in between the railway lines, on which a train had just passed, as if waiting for the Narrator to appear. “He was standing between the rails, waiting for me” this undoubtedly creates more suspense, as the reader does not know the reason, or reasons for his sinister actions. The Signalman, is described by the Narrator as “a dark sallow man, with a dark beard and rather heavy eyebrows” Here, we see that the Signalman is not in the best of health, and may well be badly malnourished, this again adds tension, as the reader does not know the reason for this. We also find out more about The Signalman’s environment “His post was solitary and dismal a place I ever saw” The post is lonely, and wasn’t exactly well presented, as the descriptions of it are dull. The Railway line is again described in great detail “terminating into a gloomy red light, and the gloomier entrance to the black tunnel” again, the tunnel is described as though it had occupied an evil spirit, and was a tunnel leading to hell.
Join now!
The repeat of negative connotations, reminds the reader of Dickens bias view on the railways.The Narrator gets a feeling of uneasiness, as he talks with the questionable Signalman. “There was something in the man that daunted me” Here, we learn that the narrator is uncomfortable with opening conversation with the Signalman.The Signalman on the other hand, gives the reader the impression that he fears the railway line. “He directed a most curious look towards the red light near the tunnels mouth, and looked all about it, as if something were missing” The personification of the tunnel, “near the tunnels mouth” ...

This is a preview of the whole essay