Discuss the ways in which Charles Dickens, Thomas Hardy and HG Wells create tension and suspense
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.
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” ...
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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” adds tension as it implies as though it were a living creature.The Narrator detects fear in The Signalman’s face “you look at me” “as if you have a dread of me” The Signalman replies, as he recalls the possibility of seeing the narrator, next to the red light sometime before. The Narrator is confused as he swears he was never there “what should I do there?” Here, tension is added as a mysterious character is introduced, as we know that The Signalman had seen someone that caused him great disturbance and fearfulness.Further on into the story, the reader finds out that The Signalman is well educated. “On my trusting that he would excuse the remark that he had been well educated” Curiosity is added to the story, as there must be a good justifiable reason, for why The Signalman chose a low ranking job, when he was man of such high intellect. The Narrator enters The Signal box, he has a lengthy conversation with the Signalman which is interrupted from time to time by ringing bells and messages. As the conversation comes to an end the Narrator gets ready to leave and says “you almost make me think I have met with a contented man”. The Signalman replies “I believe I used to be so, but I am troubled, sir, I am troubled. The Narrator enquires for the reason why, The Signalman is reluctant to talk as it was hard to explain, but promises to tell the Narrator on their next meeting. This leaves the Narrator and the reader alike in significant curiosity. The Signalman kindly helps the Narrator find his way home with the use of his light “when you have found it don’t call out! and when you’re at the top don’t call out!” The repitition and emphasis on the commanding words “Don’t call out” impresses on the reader that The Signalman is worried about something, This again leaves The Narrator curious and in great anticipation of finding out more in their next meeting. They both meet the next day. The Signalman explains to the reader that the thing that is troubling is what he mistook the Narrator for at the beginning of the story. ”I heard a voice cry Halloa! Below there!” This explains the way The Signalman reacted to the narrator at the start. He gives the account about the man he mistook the Narrator for, saying six hours after he heard the voice a terrible train crash occurred. We get the impression that The Signalman thinks that the stranger was responsible, but the Narrator disagrees and puts it down to a mere coincidence. Seven months after he encounters the stranger again, he came back to find it in daylight but it had gone. “Daylight was above me, and the ghost had gone” We find out that the ghost only comes out in the dark. The Signalman adds that he had seen the ghost every day this week in curiosity the Narrator asks if he would show him the ghost. “He bit his under lip as though he were somewhat unwilling” The Signalman’s reaction tells the reader that he is afraid.The Red Room The opening of the story is in first person, who comes across as a confident character and pronounces that he doesn’t believe in ghosts. “I have lived and never a ghost have I seen as yet” The Narrator is talking to an old couple, who are described in great detail.” her pale grey eyes wide open” The author, already begins to create an eerie atmosphere, as the couple look and sound spooky, and makes the reader read on in anticipation of knowing more. This emphasises the gothic genre of the story and creates tension and suspense. Due to the early mention of the haunted room and attention to ghosts, these gives a slight edgy feeling to the reader, and creates a very eerie atmosphere and suspense as the reader wants to find out what is going on and what the ghosts are, they read on in suspense. The alternating tension and cheerfulness of the narrator, builds on the reader’s inclination of fear. “I come to the business of an open mind” Despite the warnings given by the old couple, “spiritual terrors of the house” the Narrator has no change in his confidence. The repeated warning, “it’s your own choosing” makes the reader suspicious of the forth coming events. . The woman says the Narrator’s age “eight and twenty years” here we think that the reason the Narrator is confident, is because he is young, and hasn’t really seen anything supernatural before. “There’s many things to see”. The repeated warnings given by the couple, make the reader suspicious of The Red Room, and make them to read on in suspense.Suspense builds further when he hears “the sound of a stick and a shambling step on the flags outside” HG Wells uses the descriptive alliteration, to add more tension to the story. Here a new character is introduced. He is also old and frailer than the man with the withered arm. His description is very frightening and scary “his eyes were coved by shade, and his lower lip, half averted, hung pale and pink from his decaying teeth”. He is completely ignored by the old lady, but the man with the withered arm gives him “a positive glance of dislike”. The author’s description of the newcomer evokes fear. “I caught a momentary glimpse of his eyes, small and bright and inflamed”.The way that the red room is gradually described to the narrator, creates suspense. The mysterious phrase “This night of all nights” creates more tension and suspense as the reader has no knowledge of the red room and curious of knowing what it is about.The Narrator calls the three old people “grotesque custodians” and says that they make him “feel uncomfortable”. The Narrator is in no doubt, there to spend a night in “this haunted room of yours” and asks for directions. The old man reacts suddenly “jerked his head back…and shot another glance of his red eyes” this increases tension, as the old mans reaction is mysterious. No one replies. He asks again, only to be answered with another warning by the old man. “But if you go to the red room tonight…” he is interrupted, as though by purpose by the old lady “This night of all nights!” The tension and fear rises, as the old servants continue to discourage the Narrator, by making rather fear-provoking comments. “You go alone”. After receiving directions, the old man questions “are you really going?” The stubborn Narrator replies in his unchanging confidence. “It is what I came for”Whilst on his journey, along the “chilly, echoing passage” he admits that the three old people and their old fashioned furniture had “affected him”. This adds tension as this is the second sign that he is beginning to feel uncomfortable.HG Wells describes the passage in detail “long, draughty subterranean passage” this quote suggests that the atmosphere was eerie. Tension is built upon further still as the description of the red room comes forward, “gallant attempt to conquer the ghostly tradition of the place”. When he reaches the red room he stands “rigid for half a minute perhaps” This is another sign of discomfort, as he comes across as hesitant. Tension mounts as the reader begins to question his confidence.The Red Room was the place where young Duke had died, “or rather began his dying for he had opened the door and fallen headlong down the steps “he had just ascended. There’s also the story of the timid wife “the tragic end that came to her husband’s jest of frightening her. Fear and tension is increased considerably as deaths had occurred in the room.When inside the room, the first thing he does is check the fastening on the door, and checking each article and fastenings on the window. This portrays to the reader that he probably isn’t as confidence as at the start of the story, as he doesn’t feel secure and safe in the Red Room. The Narrator then lit candles and a fire, but the “crackling of the fire was no sort of comfort” implying that he was uncomfortable at this moment. Though he was nervous he still believed that “nothing supernatural could happen” However that didn’t change his feelings, as he is still uncomfortable. The sombre reds and blacks still troubled him, so he recalled candles he had seen on the landing, he went and got them in order to make the room brighter. This made him feel confident and began joking with himself “I could warn him not to trip over them”.Midnight is the bewitching hour when traditionally, ghost and other supernatural anomalies “came out”. ”it was after midnight that the candle in the alcove suddenly went out” The way that it was after midnight added tension and excitement to the story. The Narrator didn’t see the candle go out; he thought that it was caused by draught. “That draughts a strong one” He went to relight it, as he turn round he “saw that two candles on the little able by the fireplace were extinguished.” The narrator reassures himself. “Did I do that myself in a flash of absent mindfulness?”HG Wells builds tension by including a lot of detail in each of his sentences.” the wicks had suddenly nipped between the finger and thumb, leaving the wick neither glowing nor smoking, but black”. “My hands tremble so much that twice I missed the rough paper of the match box”. “It was like a ragged storm cloud sweeping out the stars.The Narrator was horrified as each candle was extinguished, “I was almost frantic with horror of coming darkness, and my self possession deserted me”. The last candle finally went out; the only source of light was the “dancing” flames of the fire. The Narrator thought, I could still thrust my candle between the bars and relight it”. But after two steps towards it the fire vanished. The Narrator, “flung out my arms in a vain effort to thrust that ponderous blackness away”, he pondered around the room hopelessly trying to find the door until eventually he took a blow to the head and fell. The three old people are brought back in to the story; they surround the Narrator as he wakes “slowly I recovered my memory of my experience”. The three old people tell him he has seen the proof himself, that the room is indeed haunted. He replies “there is neither ghost of earl nor ghost of countess in that room…but worse far worse. The worst of all the things that haunt mortal man…and that is, in all its nakedness Fear!” The Narrator creates a lot of tension in the run up to tell the three people, what haunts the room by day and night. By giving “Fear” a capital letter, the author personifies and emphasises its complete power, over anyone who stays in the room. The Narrator is no longer the confident character; he was in the beginning of the story. Throughout the Red Room, tension and suspense gradually build up to the spooky climax of the story. The detailed description of the spooky old people and the mysterious Red Room, and what occurs in it all create an eerie and haunted atmosphere. The Withered Arm.H.G Wells opens the story in the dairy on Farmer Lodges Land, with harmless innocent gossip arising between the milkmaids. “He do bring home his bride to-morrow” This is an interesting way to start the story as a new character is introduced at the beginning. This immediately creates curiosity as the reader wants find out more about the character. One milk maid is on her own. “The other side of the barton, where a thin, fading woman of thirty milked somewhat apart from the rest”. Again tension and suspense is added as the reader wants to know why she is left isolated.After milking, Rhoda meets with her son and they go home together. Here their house is described in detail by H.G Wells. “A rafter showed like a bone protruding through the skin. This cringing personification emphasises Rhoda’s cottage as sinister, a very unappealing image. This quote also gives a preview or insight into to what is going to conclude in the story. The eerie descriptions of the house incurs a feeling of discomfort on the reader.Farmer Lodge returns, with his new wife. Rhoda sends her son to go and inspect the newly wed wife. “yes…You can give her a look, and tell me whats she’s like if you do see her.” Here tension is added to the piece, as the motive for the brides’ inspection is unclear; this undoubtedly obliges the reader to read on in suspense and substantial curiosity. Rhoda extends her request to the boy, telling him what to look out for especially. “if she’s dark or fair, and if she is tall-as tall as I. And…as I expect her to do.” Immediately the reader senses jealousy from Rhoda, we expect that maybe a “tragedy” may occur between Rhoda and Gertrude. The boy sees the Wife, the result in her being very beautiful. Hardy describes her in great detail. “Her face was fresh in colour…soft and evanescent, like the light under a heap of rose-petals” The positive description of the wife and the clever use of a simile adds tension between Rhoda and Gertrude and the reader alike.