An unnervey atmosphere is created by H.G Wells in ‘The Red Room’ by the use of corridors. This is shown by the ‘darkness’, the ‘pallid silence’ and hearing sounds in the passage ways. The ‘darkness’ of the empty corridors seems more haunting and feasible by making it sound spooky as the character can’t be sure what they are seeing. This links with ‘The pallid silence of the landing’ which is also a metaphor as it makes the landing sound unhealthy and pale. This makes the landing seem unsetting and foreboding. The darkness and silence links to the heavy sounds in the passage as H.G Wells was saying it was silent yet he heard ‘sound of stick shambling step in the passage outside’ which makes it seem unnervey as he can’t see if it is real or not. These three thinks work together to create the feeling of unease.
H.G Wells is using the furniture and room size in the castle to create a spooky setting. This is shown by the ‘large shadowy room’ and ‘the deep toned, old fashioned furniture’ this makes it seem dark and shadowy. The old fashioned furniture makes it seem spooky as it is makes the room seem darker than it actually will be. The large shadowy room’ also makes it seem darker as makes the reader feel that there is something wrong with the room as you can’t really see what is in it when its shadowy. These things come together to make the reader feel like it is a spooky setting as it will seem much darker than it really is.
The use of light and darkness in H.G Well’s ‘The Red Room’ is used to create a darkening spooky atmosphere. This is shown by ‘the candles in the sockets of the sconces’, ‘flames were dancing with the cold’ and the ‘black corners’. The description of the interior of the Red Room uses the conventions of a typical Victorian room that could be used in a ghost story. Firstly, there are many niches and 'black corners' that create a feeling of mystery. There are 'sconces' and a 'mantelshelf', that often feature in stories of this genre. This makes it seem darkening and spooky because it is talking about how there is little light and many black corners to the room. This links with ‘there were candles in the sockets of the sconces’ as it gives a contribution to the ancient and spooky feel as it is candle light not sun light or natural light. ‘Flames were dancing with the cold’ adds to the darkening spooky atmosphere as it is suggesting maybe a presence of a ghost. This makes it seem spooking as the flame is blowing out and back again but nobody is doing it. These three things work together to create the atmosphere of spook and darkness.
The colours that are associated with the red room make the atmosphere seem more dark. This is as darker colours are used; this is shown by ‘sombre black and reds of the room.’ The colours contrast to make it seem gloomier than lighter by using red and black. ‘This haunted room of yours…is “the red room” the word red makes us associates the colour with different things like evil, passion, and blood. “To somber reds and black of the room” red could me the colour of love, passion, or greed. Black could be the colour of hatred, darkness or gloom. “There is fear in the room – black fear” black fear could mean that it was dark or gloomy. These two colours come together to make the castle seem darker than it would have been.
The first setting we see in “The Man with the Twisted Lip” is Dr Watson’s house. This gives us an expectation of what his profession is from the “large white house.” It is show when "A Patient!" said she". Watson continues "I groaned, for I was newly come back from a weary day." This is evidence that Watson was actively practicing his profession in his house late at night. It is also shown when it says “the hour when a man gives his first yawn”, wife doing her “needlework”, leaves his “armchair” and “cheery sitting room” it is personification because it is their happy place. This creates contrast with the gloomy setting of the streets.
The street in which it is set builds up the atmosphere, as it is created by the dark depressing streets. It is shown by ‘“A vile alley lurking” near the wharves’ this is also personified because it is a dirty side road, alley lurking is meaning that the streets are alive with disgusting rats. The Lanterns on the cart s build the atmosphere as it is dark and creepy (night) dim and depressing and there rare patches of light. “throw out two golden tunnels of yellow light” through the “gloom” Streets are gloomy because you can’t see to the end of the street because there is no light. Finally this is shown by “An endless succession of sombre and deserted streets” it is shown by sombre meaning depressing, deserted meaning nobody there, this builds the atmosphere up because it is depressing and you can’t see anybody around. These three points work together to build up the atmosphere as they are explaining that it is gloomy with nobody there, which makes it a bit scary.
The atmosphere and setting is built up in the Opium den. The atmosphere is built up because of it being hell like, where you can’t see anything. The setting is built up because it is a dark place with lots of smoke. “A long low room, thick and heavy with the brown opium smoke” full of “vile, stupefying fumes” showing alliteration because it’s the idea of being trapped in the room with no way out. “There is a glimmered little red circles of light” and there is “a small brazier of burning charcoal” referring it to hell as they are burning death as you wouldn’t want to be recongnised as it is a hellish place to go. An Opium den is the base center of sex, drugs, alcohol. These three points help build up the atmosphere of what you can and can’t see as it is full of smoke and is quite dark.
The atmosphere is built up in the opium den as it is created by bodies and various people’s voices. ‘“peering through the gloom”, Watson can “dimly catch a glimpse of bodies”’ this is suggesting death as use of none moving bodies. ‘Some “silent”, some “muttered” or “mumbled”, some in “low monotonous voices”, some sudden “gushes of conversation “tailing off into silence”. This is explaining that the bodies are like corpses, and that people are talking to themselves, it is frightening as they have no idea what they are doing because of the drugs. These three points help build up the atmosphere in the opium den as it is quite nerve racking seeing bodies lying around and not knowing if they are alive or dead.
The atmosphere is built up in ‘The Signalman’ as it describes the Signalman’s post as isolated and that it is away from civilisation. “A lonesome post” tell the reader that it is isolated as it is only him doing the job, it may be so isolated that he may be seeing and hearing things. “As solitary and dismal a place as I ever saw” quite alliteration which builds suspense, a remote place which is suitable for the supernatural. These three things are building up the atmosphere because it sets up the audiences belief that it could be haunted.
The atmosphere at the train station is built up in preparation for the tunnel accident that occurs. It is built up through the description we are given of a train passing by, ‘“a vague vibration in the earth and air” then “a violent pulsation” and an “oncoming rush” and “vapour”’ it shows the effect of train suggestion of earth shaking, “violent” hints at hostile creature. “Oncoming rush” sudden whoosh which can be quite dangerous. It also has soft alliteration. The soft alliteration help to build up the atmosphere as it is all linking together. “Steeped in the glow of an angry sunset” set in the evening as darkness is about to fall, it is personification as it is an alive environment. The personification helps make the things that aren’t alive seem alive in the story building up the atmosphere. These things help build up the atmosphere as it is explaining the train going by the station and preparing the reader for the tunnel accident.
The setting of the tunnel helps make the atmosphere more gloomy as it explains that it is dark and unsettling. “a rough zigzag descending path…cutting was extremely deep and unusually precipitous” the path was so dangerous that it was not meant to be walked down. There is personification when the narrator describes the tunnel as it is taking human characteristics “a gloomy red light and the gloomier entrance to a black tunnel” the colours black and red are used to describe blood, death and love. Finally it makes it even more unsettling as there is a mention of entrance but not exit. “it had an earthly deadly smell” earthly and deadly are adjectives used to describe how the smell was so strong that it could harm someone, this is also makes it seem hell like. These things help make the atmosphere more gloomy as it is talking about what it leads too and use of senses (light and smell.)
The atmosphere is built up in the tunnel of the ‘Signalman’ as it starts talking about it being supernatural. “A barbarous depressing and forbidding air” the narrator is describing the tunnel as the word forbidding could mean that they are not allowed to enter, that it is unfriendly or that it is dangerous. “it struck chill to me” when the reader says ‘struck’ it could be meaning that it is a sudden force of movement against him. The word Chill would mean that it was icy and cold. “As if I had left the natural world” Everything the narrator sees becomes supernatural as if it was heaven and hell. This helps it build up the atmosphere as it brings life to the tunnel for the reader.
The three stories are similar in how there is little light. In the ‘Red Room’ there is little light because it is a dark and gloomy castle. In the ‘Signalman’ there is no light in the tunnel, which makes it scarier as you can’t see anything. Finally in the ‘Man with the Twisted Lip’ there is reference to little light in the streets, this makes it creepier as you also can’t see anything. The reference to little or no light makes the story seem creepier and scary which builds up the suspense in all the stories.
Although I liked all the stories I found that I like ‘The Red Room’ the most. This is because the description of all that the main character encounters on his journey is both clear and emotive. The detail given captures my imagination in such a way that I feel like I am in the room myself. Even though this story is told in the first person we have good descriptions of the other individuals which I feel is accurate as most of the descriptions are actually from a challenging perspective.
