Examine several short pre 1914 short stories and comment upon how the author portrays a sense of tension and suspense. - The Speckled Band

Helen Stoner goes on to tell Holmes about her stepfather, Dr.Grimesby Roylott. She say's that once in a 'sum of anger' he beat his native butler to 'death'. This shows that he is capable of murder and it builds up the suspense. Also Helen Stoner says that he is known as the 'terror of the village' for he is a man of 'vast strength' and 'uncontrollable anger'. This makes the reader feel that Dr.Roylott is a horrifying man who is capable of anything and you want to read on as you get the feeling that he has something to do with why Helen is there so early in the morning, looking so terrified. She then talks about the mysterious death of her sister Julie and the reader begins to suspect that Dr.Roylott has something to do with it. We then learn that he has 'cruelly used' Helen as Holmes spotted hand marks on her wrist This causes a great deal of tension and suspense due to the fact that the reader doesn't know where Helen Stoner got them peculiar marks from. This increases the reader's suspicion of Dr.Roylott and the reader might begin to dislike this character and this makes the tension grow.

After Helen leaves, Dr.Roylott enters Holmes house rather forcefully and begins questioning Holmes aggressively. Watson describes him as being well dressed. He was so tall his hat hit the 'cross bar of the doorway' and he filled the door opening from 'side to side'. This makes you feel that he is a very overpowering person and he looks extremely threatening. His face was covered with 'every evil passion' and he resembled a 'fierce old bird of prey' like an eagle. This suggests that is a very cold, hard man and he tends to terrify people. Dr.Roylott is very forceful when he speaks and he tells Holmes that he has 'traced' his stepdaughter. This makes the reader suspicious, as the reader might know he has a reason for killing Julie so this makes him our primary suspect and this portrays the tension. The character of Dr.Roylott is very strong and threatening and he makes you want to read on because you want to know what he is going to do next and the tension increases pretty quickly.

When Holmes and Watson first see Helen Stoner's home it is described as a 'picture of ruin'. It says the roof was 'caved in' and the house is generally described as being in a poor condition and rather decomposed. This develops the suspense as it is a stereotypical haunted house where we are sure that something ghastly has gone on there one time or another. It feeds the readers imagination with thoughts of monstrous or unnatural goings on and it makes you feel uneasy and it adds to the suspense.

When Holmes examines the inside of the house it creates further suspense in many different ways. Firstly, we discover that Helen's room didn't 'need for repairs' but she was still moved. This makes the reader suspect Dr.Roylott and it adds to the tension. Secondly, they discover the bell-rope is a 'dummy' and it is fastened to a hook near the ventilator above the bed. This makes the reader wonder why it has been put there and the reader become very suspicious. Thirdly, they discover the 'ventilators which do not ventilate' and then in Dr.Roylott's chamber we see a 'small saucer of milk', which baffles the reader and adds to the tension. Next, Holmes squats down in front of a chair and says, "Thank you. That is quite settled." This makes us wonder what he is thinking and it mystifies the reader. Lastly, they see a 'dog lash' which has been made into a loop. Watson is puzzled and bewildered as to what its purpose is and these factors all make the tension rise.

Grimesby Roylott returns home at dusk and he appears to be in a bad mood. We know this because when the boy who is driving him couldn't open the gate they heard the 'hoarse roar' of the doctor's voice and they saw the fury with which he shook his 'clenched fists'. This builds to the tension, as we know that Dr.Roylott is in a bad mood and we wonder what he would do if he caught Holmes and Watson hiding in his house. We know that he is very aggressive and capable of anything.

Before Watson and Holmes leave for Stoke Moran Holmes tells Watson that 'there is a distinct element of danger' in going tonight and he has doubts in even taking him. This enhances the tension as we think that it must be very unsafe and risky if Holmes fears for his friend's life. When they begin their journey the language used is particularly effective at creating suspense. He uses words like 'dark', 'chill', 'gloom' and 'sombre' to strengthen the tension. He describes the weather as being very dark and horrible and he says that there was a 'chill wind blowing' in their faces, which adds to the suspense. When a 'hideous and distorted child' scares them it makes the reader very tense but it turns out that it was only a baboon.

The vigil kept by Holmes and Watson inside the house creates a very uneasy impression. This is due to the fact they have to sit quietly because the 'least sound would be fatal' to their plans and they also have to sit in the dark. Holmes says not to go to sleep because their very 'lives may depend upon it'. This makes the reader feel the tension as the reader dose not know what could happen and it makes the reader want to read on. Watson describes the situation as a 'dreadful vigil' and he says that they are both in a 'state of nervous tension'. The way Watson describes the time going by is very tense as he counts the hours as they go by and it seems very uneasy and it enlarge the tension.

Suddenly they see a light and they can smell a lantern, then they hear the low-pitched whistle. Watson saw that Holmes face was 'deadly pale and filled with horror and loathing'. We wonder what is going on and why Holmes is so scared and this makes the suspense rise quickly. Next, they hear a 'hoarse yell' of pain, fear and anger all 'mingled into one dreadful shriek'. They both run into Dr.Roylott's room to find that he is dead and has a 'speckled band' around his head. Holmes informs Watson that it is a 'swamp adder' and we suddenly realise what killed Julie Stoner and now it's own owner. The tension of the story has reached its peak but we are still kept in suspense, as we are unsure of how of all the clues fit together. Holmes then exposes to us that Dr.Roylott kept the snake in a safe and he used the dog leash to maintain the snake. Dr.Roylott would stand on a chair and send the snake through the ventilator, which would then slither down the bell rope onto the fixed bed and hopefully kill whoever was sleeping there. We then learn that the Gypsies were red herrings and so were the dying words of Julie Stoner.

Conclusion

I have come to the conclusion that 'The Speckled Band' is a very effective story at creating suspense and tension, as there was always something weird and suspicious going on. I find this fascinating how today with all of our scientific technology such as D.N.A testing the story can still keep us interested with all of it's simple clues and basic methods of detective work. When Conan Doyle was writing this story, I am sure that he did not know many authors who write detective stories would fool the same kind of plot. The trend being the relationship between the main detective and his so-called sidekick such as Poirot and Captain Hastings. I found 'The Speckled Band' story quite good and I always wanted to read on this was due to the fact that all of the tension and suspense that Conan Doyle has created. I think this story is a very good detective story and it will be just as popular in the future as it was when it was first written. It is a good book to work with. I think many students should continue using this book for future studies.

Tony Kytes

The author portrays a sense of tension and suspense by introducing the main character in a kind of non-descriptive way, which causes suspense it makes the reader more determined to read on.

The author sends across a message to the reader as if Tony Kytes was a simple person who is kind to women but when the reader reads on they find out that he is a deceiving Casanova.

The author sets the story on a wagon and this doesn't tell the author at any time where the wagon is actually heading to where the final destination is. I think personally this cause a kind of anxiety in the story, which is, also portrays a sense of tension and suspense.

The author leaves the reader guessing on which bride Tony Kytes is actually going to marry and if he is going to get caught. The reader also wants to find out what all the women are actually going to do when they find out that there not the only women on the boat this would cause a great sense of tension.

The story ends off at a cliff-hanger and makes the reader want to read the next edition of the story that is also a sense of tension and suspense for the reason that you would want to find out what is happening in the next story, if there is going to be another one.

Conclusion

Tony Kytes a story that does not really portray a sense of tension and suspense compared to the speckled band. Tony Kytes dose have its slight moments when it shows signs of tension and suspense but not really regularly. This short story would

An Arrest

The author portrays a sense of tension and suspense by the introduction of the story when the narrator starts the story with "Having murdered his brother in law" this makes the story have a strange sense of tension and suspense as we don't know how when or why he did it.

The language the author uses is very daunting and sends certain anticipation to the story. This makes the audience want to read on so they can find out where the man is actually walking to find his destination.

The author has set this in a dark creepy town and the reader doesn't know where it is this causes a sense of tension and nervousness. This keeps the reader on the edge of their seat.

The main character in the story is somewhat weird in his own kind of way we already know that he is a murder and escape convict but I think he has his own sense of weirdness and strangeness about him.

The author makes the ending just as bizarre as the beginning but the reader has a sense of anxiety when they finish the story.

By Jesse Damon.