Sherlock Holmes still remains very famous and has even had websites dedicated to him.
Suspense is built up in the story by using a variety of language types such as; similes, nouns, adjectives, onomatopoeia and also by a personification.
Arthur Conan Doyle uses a list of strong, vivid verbs. The list of verbs makes the sentence seem consistent and continuous, “howling”, “beating”, and “splashing”. The “howling” wind is a use of personification, and this gives us the effect that something unpleasant is going to happen.
Arthur Conan Doyle using the verb “splashing”, which describes the rain. The word “splashing” is onomatopoeia, as he is appealing to our senses.
In the next sentence Arthur Conan Doyle uses a line of nouns and adjectives, which draws suspense to the story. It does this because he makes everything seem worse and more realistic than it actually is. He quotes, “ there burst forth the wild scream of a terrified woman.” Arthur Conan Doyle puts in the adjectives to describe the scream of the woman. He says “the wild scream of a terrified woman.” By putting these adjectives in, it creates more suspense and meaning to the story, because everything he writes is very dramatic!
Arthur Conan Doyle also increases the drama and suspense where he writes “horror stricken”, which suggests somebody who is scared and unable to move.
The Arthur Conan Doyle writes a line full of dramatic verbs and adverbs, which are about Helen’s sister and draw attention to her and her pains, and therefore adds even more suspense to the story. “She writhed as one who is terrible pain, and her limbs were dreadfully convulsed suggests real agony.
Arthur Conan Doyle then writes, “Suddenly shrieked”. By using two very strong and powerful words it makes you want to read on and see why she “suddenly shrieked”.
Arthur Conan Doyle also writes “Oh, my God! Helen! It was the band! The speckled band!” He uses speech and punctuation, and even more importantly he uses explanation marks, which add to the drama. By using explanation marks after nearly every word it makes everything seem so much more dramatic and important, and by this creates and adds to the suspense to the story.
‘The Man with the Twisted Lip’ is yet another story by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. The story seems to be about a missing man (Nevel St Claire), which leads to a murder inquiry. Sherlock Holmes later discovers that Nevel St Claire wasn’t and didn’t actually go missing, but was in fact disguised as a beggar.
There are lots of different settings in this short story, all of which are described completely different.
For instant, the area of East London is described as “ a vile alley lurking”, which gives us the idea that people in this area/alley get up to no good. The choice of words ‘lurking’ and ‘vile’ reinforce this.
The area of East London is also described as “an endless succession of sombre and deserted streets”. This means that the area isn’t very nice as it doesn’t attract a lot of people, and therefore is at a low level of life, where everything is dingy, and the people are all scruffy looking, and look as if they are on drugs.
Another setting in this story is ‘The Bar of Gold’, which is the Opium den. It is described to have “a steep flight of steps leading down to a black gap”. This suggests that the steps are leading down to hell, which is also associated with black, death and evil. This quote also suggests that when going down into the room, nothing can be seen.
The Opium den is also described as a “terraced with wooden berths like the forecastle of an emigrant ship”. This quote is a simile and is describing the den as being in cramped, awful conditions.
The final setting that we’re going to be looking at is Mrs St. Clairs house. Mrs St. Claires house is described as “a large villa” in “its own grounds”, a drive way with its “floods of light” and comfortable bedroom.
Mrs St. Claires house is described as the complete opposite of the other two settings, as it is described as light, happy, cheerful and large and seems like heaven compared to the other settings, which are described as black, dark, dull and as hell.
The author uses a variety of languages to create suspense and set the scene. An example of this could be “along the passage . . . come to a door . . . a spiral staircase . . . a landing . . . another door . . . long corridor . . .up the steps.”
This suggests that the corridor/stairway is on going, and goes on and on. It also suggests that it is away from all other rooms, away from everything and everyone, tucked away where no one will find it, and so adds to the feeling of remoteness.
The quote “shadows ‘cower and quiver’ listening to a rustling that I fancied I heard, but there is absolute silence.” This suggests that the visitor is imagining voices/noises, and is imagining/seeing things, when there is actually nothing there. It suggests that his mind is playing games with him, because nothing is in the room. ‘Cower’ suggests immense fear. This quote also suggests that the visitor may also be feeling quite fidgety, and maybe slightly scared, as he thinks he isn’t alone in the room, and may feel the presence of someone/something else.
In each of the three short stories, they all share some sort of similarities and differences.
A similarity could be that they all have references to heaven or hell, or maybe both.
In “The Speckled Band” hell is seen to be situated in the room in which Helen’s sister died. A quote to support this would be “From outside came the occasional cry of a bird, and once at out window, a long drawn cat like whine…”
In “The Man with the Twisted Lip” hell is seen to be situated in the Opium den. A quote is support this would be “ a steep flight of stairs leading down to a black gap”. This quote suggests that the black gap is hell, as hell is associated with black/red
Heaven is also seen, but at Mrs St Claires house. A quote to support this would be “floods of light”, because heaven is the opposite of hell therefore situated with light.
In “The Red Room” hell is seen to be situated in ‘The Red Room’. A quote to support this would be “The door to the red room and the steps up to it were in a shadowy corner”. This quote suggests that the red room was situated in blackness/hell. The Red Room also emphasises many aspects of the place where supernatural things may occur, and also keeps the gothic tradition chosen by the Author. Because of the ghostly tales used.
Another similarity that all three stories share is that they all contain some sort of historical, social or literacy background. This helps to show why the writers choose each setting for each story.
The three stories also share the similarity that each writer has an intention to keep the reader in suspense.
Each story describes where it is set pretty, except for “Speckled Band” and “Re Room”. “The Man with the Twisted Lip” is described to be set in Upper Swanson Lane in the East side of London which is pretty well described and therefore gives us a clearer image in our heads as we read the story. But “Red Room” is only described to be in a castle, it doesn’t say where the castle is, or where it is situated, and “The Speckled Band” isn’t very precise with its location either. We know it is set in Dr. Roylotts house, but where is DR. Roylotts house situated. The more precise each story is the clearer image that is shown in your head when you are reading each story. When the destination of each house isn’t quite described to its full, it leaves some kind of mystery with it, and leaves you thinking if they have leaven out the full location for reason.
Each story is so different but they all share so many similarities. Another similarity that the three stories share is that they all give the effect of a cold, gloomy felling to them, they all give a sense of mystery.
For example in “The Speckled Band” a quote to suggest a cold and gloomy feeling to the story would be “All was dark in the direction of Manor House”. This quote gives us the feeling of darkness, gloominess and coldness, as it suggests everywhere is light.
In “The Man with the Twisted lip” a quote to suggest a cold and gloomy feeling to the story would be “peering through the gloom”.
Finally in “The Red Room”, a quote to suggest a cold and gloomy feeling to the story would be, “I simply turned and saw that the darkness was there”.
There is seen to be a villain in each short story.
The villain in “The Speckled Band is Dr Roylott. Dr Roylott is known for having a fierce and violent temper. People fear him, and therefore won’t speak to him, unless they are spoken to. A quote to suggest that people fear him would be “He became the terror of the village”. This suggests that not only was Dr Roylott fierce and violent with his family but also with the villagers.
Conan Doyle describes and resembles Dr Roylott as a bird of prey, the quote used is, “a fierce old bird of prey”. This suggests that Dr Roylott stalks and hunts down his victims just as a bird of prey will hunt, stalk, then shoot down and kill its prey.
Dr Roylott interests are in Indian animals. A quote to show this would be “he had a strong passion for Indian animals”. ‘Passion’ suggests extreme emotion. It is very fitting that Dr Roylott has an extreme passion for Indian animals as all of which are violent, dangerous, aggressive and strange.
The only real motive that Dr Roylott has is to keep his house, but he fears that if his daughters marry he will loose it.
There isn’t as such a villain in “The Man with the Twisted Lip”. But there is Neville St Claire. Neville St Claire is said to be missing, but actually disguised himself as a beggar, when he had a good paying job and a lovely house in the country. Nevel St Claire would then be seen as a villain as he is claiming to be poor with no house, no food, no water and therefore taking money off passing people when it isn’t actually needed. It could then be seen that Nevel St Claire is stealing money of the Public.
In “The Red Room” the villain would probably be the visitors imagination. There isn’t an actual villain, but the visitor imagines/experiences supernatural happenings. He thinks there is a ghost or maybe ghosts in his room, when it is actually his mind playing games on him. Which is why I think that the villain is his imagination.
In my opinion I think that the story that is most successful in achieving a sense of mystery and creating an effective atmosphere would be “The Red Room”. I think this because you don’t actually know and you never find out if it was just the visitors mind playing games with him or if he did actually see a ghost. The fact that you are questioning yourself about a made up story makes me think about how good it is and how much suspense is actually created. The story makes you want to read on and find out what happened in the room, and I love the suspense and mystery of it.
