As ‘The Signal Man’, ‘The Man with the Twisted Lip’ and ‘The Red Room’ were all written during the same period; quiet similar methods were used to generate tension and atmosphere. Pathetic fallacy is used throughout the three stories; for example, in ‘The Red Room’ “coming in by the great window on the grand staircase, picked out everything in vivid black shadow or silvery illumination.” Robust descriptions are used in all three stories to give a image of the characters and settings in our minds. Using the powerful descriptions also get the reader engaged by creating tension and suspense making the reader read on to find out what happens next. In ‘The Red Room’ you can automatically tell from the first sentence that is will be a ghost story as it starts of with: “I can assure you,” said I, “that it will take a very tangible ghost to frighten me.” In addition, the fact that is written in the first person impacts on the reader as it makes the reader feel that it is a true story being told by someone that has experienced the real thing.
The setting of the story is straightforward and easy to understand, as it is only about a man whom does not believe in ghosts. The man is then invited to a very derelict building where he is told to stay in ‘The Red Room’ which is said to be haunted by ghosts and spirits. It is interesting that H.G. Wells has used grotesque characters which some might say had something to do with ‘The Red Room’ and all the spirits and ghosts said to be haunting it. Immediately after the unnamed man has changed his views about the existence of ghosts and spirits, he says: “The worst of all things that haunt poor mortal man,” said I; “and that is, in all its nakedness-Fear! Neither fear that will have light nor sound that will not bear with reason, which deafens and darkens and overwhelms. It followed me through the corridor; it fought against me in the room.”
‘The Man with the Twisted Lip’ is the lengthiest of the three stories. It has a different introduction to the other two, as it introduces the characters that will be in the stories. For example, the story starts off with: “Isa Whitney, brother of late Elias Whitney, D.D., Principal of the Theological College of St. George’s, was much addicted to opium.” This varies from ‘The Red Room’ which starts of with: “I can assure you, said I, “that it will take a very tangible ghost to frighten me.” Also this is different from ‘The Signal Man’ which starts with: “Halloa! Below there!”
‘The Signal Man’ is more of a mystery genre where ‘Sherlock Holmes’ investigated the case of a serial killer who has taken away the life of his wife. Arthur Conan Doyle captures the attention of the audience to cause them to read on to the end. He does this by using literary techniques to create a deep sense tension.
Throughout ‘The Red Room’ a sense of tension is built up by the use of emotive language. “If,” said I, “you will show me this haunted room of yours, I will make myself comfortable there.” This is a sentence that will force the reader to read on so he/she finds out what happens to the man. Extremely grotesque characters are used in this story to keep to the gothic theme. The description of Lorraine Castle, the haunted room and the corridors which lead to ‘The Red Room’ also help keep to the gothic theme. The story concludes with the person telling the story being convinced that there are such things as ghosts and spirits and being convinced that ‘The Red Room’ is haunted.
‘The Signal Man’ is set in an out of the ordinary train station located underground. The story was set in the times trains were a new category of transport. Most people would know that Charles Dickens got the inspiration for the story after experiencing a train crash himself. Dickens was petrified to ride on trains again after experiencing the crash. The setting and atmosphere in the story reflects to the idea of the Victorian times, as the storyline is explained to be set in a different perspective of the industrial age in Britain. The end of the story can have various different meanings to it such as: ‘The Signal Man’ could have been a ghost or that the train station was haunted. However, the end of the story has a dramatic impact on the reader as they were not expecting something like that to happen. Charles Dickens had to be incredibly intelligent to come up with the idea of blending the former supernatural world with the modern invention of the railways. The way Charles Dickens describes the railway conveys that it is haunted. When the readers had finished reading the story; most of the time they would be terrified to ride the railway stations alone as they would have believed some elements of the story. The fact that there were not many characters in the story helps the reader to provide most of their concentration on the characters that are used in the story. This is effective as the reader will have a better knowledge of what the characters personalities are and will help the readers make a better judgment on the characters.
‘The Red Room’ is the latest of the three stories. The setting is one of the typical gothic genre settings. The setting of the story is undoubtedly simple to understand, reflecting a good short story a person could read in a newspaper. ‘The Red Room’ is much simpler than ‘The Man with the Twisted Lip’ and ‘The Signal Man’. However, the description of the characters and the castle create a dramatic amount of tension.
‘The Man with the Twisted Lip’ is set in an , the 'Bar of Gold'. In the Victorian era the streets of the East End were highly polluted and overcrowded. Additionally, the streets were overcrowded by people who could not afford a place to live and as a result slept on the streets. Murder was amazingly high and quiet a lot of people were murdered. More or less, one year before the play was written; Jack the Ripper haunted the streets of London and also took away the life of many prostitutes. Amazingly, Jack the Ripper made it through life without being caught.
In ‘The Signal Man’ a felling of isolation is created. “Just then, there came a vague vibration in the earth and air, quickly changing into a violent pulsation.” This part of the storyline increases the temptation of the reader to read on to the end and find out what happens. The fact that the story is written in first story narrative make it more trustful. By using the metaphor, “the tunnel’s mouth” Charles Dickens is able to create a gloomy and fearful atmosphere. The quotation “Forbidding air” describes the atmosphere in the railway station as a place that is hard to work in almost like the mines.
“Wrapped about me in stifling embrace, sealed my vision, and crushed the last vestiges of reason from my brain.” This is a quotation from ‘The Red Room’ by H.G. Wells. H.G. Wells did not wish this story to be closely linked with the period he wrote it in, so that he could examine and explore the ageless nature of fear itself.
“I entered, closed the door behind me at once, turned the key I found in the lock within, and stood with the candle held loft, surveying the scene of my vigil, the great room of Lorraine Castle, in which the young duke had died.” This quotation creates tension as it tell the reader every move made, which make them think something is about to happen.