Notice, none of the characters in the story actually have a name but are names from the significance of there structure and personality e.g. “The man with the withered arm” this is telling us that this man some how has a disability. Although there are no pictures in this short story H.G.Wells is trying to capture an imagination upon the readers mind another example of this is the “Old lady” she is said to have pale sharp eyes. Later on in the story a second man enters the room and he adds more suspense to the scene because of his features i.e. “A second man entered, more bent, more wrinkled and even more aged than the first one. He supported himself by a single crutch; his eyes were covered by the shade and his lower lip half averted, hung pale and pink from his decaying yellow teeth”. Notice the alliteration in this “lower lip” this man set the scene of this so called ghost before the young man had been into the room. He built suspense for the young man and sent a shiver down his spine. Also, the “monstrous shadow of him crouched upon the wall” (pg 4) built a lot of suspense up in this scene due to the second old man having ghost like actions. The description of the room built tension and suspense for the reader and the writer took advantage of this by using words such as “ Fire’s flickering “ the mans only light “The fire” and it’s just holding on by flickering. Another piece of alliteration. a good use of simile is used in this short story to describe how the man was feeling and what it was like i.e. “ It was like a raged storm cloud sweeping out of the stars. This shows at this point the man was frantic the fear and his imagination was getting the better of him.
The Red Room by H.G.Wells is a very serious short story with great attention to detail throughout. It leaves the reader guessing to whether there is a supernatural presence or not. The Red Room creates a lot of suspense and is a mind fondling prose narrative that leaves the reader in suspense until the end. From this ghostly setting I have chosen a complete contrast of genre that boarder on comedy. The description of the old people is almost hysterical at times but it’s actually the physical description of the old people that creates the tension and suspense in the Red Room. This short story is reliable for working on the mind, it leaves the reader thinking “Was it a murder in the house that made the ghost or it could have been a suicide” this is very good on the imagination. It’s almost in a traditional and ancient setting and there isn’t too much happening in t he story but the suspense takes over and turns the excitement upside down.
The stolen Bacillus is set in 18th century London. The hysterical and social context of the story plays a significance part in creating tension and suspense. A social context that creates fear throughout the story In contrast to Red Room, which concentrates on physical details which make the suspense.
The Stolen Bacillus is about a bacteriologist who one day gets a visit from a very keen man. The scientist shows the man around his laboratory and then shows him a deadly disease called cholera that can not be cured, then a gleam of satisfaction shone upon the visitors face. Then the scientist realised that he could have a bit of fun with the visitor, so he decided to show him more (The visitor still thinking this bacteria could wipe out and kill loads of people). Then the scientist gives the visitor the bottled cholera to the visitor whilst he goes and helps his wife with it, when the scientist gets back he unsurprisingly forgets that he gave the cholera to the visitor. Then all of a sudden the visitor realised the time and had to go. Not until the visitor had left did the bacteriologist (scientist) realise that he had gave him the cholera. So he went n a cab chase and then almost cartoon like a group of cabmen had gathered for there lunch to notice the chase. Then the Anarchist (visitor) drank the tube of the so called cholera in the cab and told the cab driver to drop him off that the end of the street. The Anarchist waits patiently for the Scientist to come round the corner in his car. When he done so the Anarchist gave off a nasty laugh and told the scientist he was too late and that he had drank the cholera then he went stumbling down the street colliding with people on his journey. After, the wife turns up behind the Scientist and asks him what was that all about and he told her. He had a visitor and not knowing he was an Anarchist he told him that the chemical in the bottled tube was a poisonous gas called cholera and then he stole it before he got to tell him it was a blue substance what turned things blue and then the scientist and his wife had a laugh about it.
The social and hysterical context is the reason behind the creation of tension and suspense because in this story the writing is letting the reader see from the anarchists point of view by this I mean that the writer isn’t letting the reader know that the tube doesn’t really consist of a poisonous substance called cholera. The Anarchist/Terrorist comes to the scientist with a fanatical attitude and the scientist takes it too far with him. The cab chase adds black comedy to the story i.e. “Go it, George it’s a race!” “You’ll Ketch ‘em!” “She’s a goer she is!” said the oyster boy (pg139).This shows the black comedy if you like, with the oyster boy and the cabmen having little debates over who is going to win. I think the fact of the Cholera not being curable creates tension and fear amongst the reader’s imagination wonder what will be done with the cholera. When the Terrorist takes remaining liquids and tries to infect other people. Only the reader can imagine the result of his action throughout this mission. This story distinctly shows that it is set back in the 18th century due to the cabmen (horse and carriage) about in those days. Also the disease “Cholera” is a disease of the 18th and 19th century. Then the story goes to the readers mind as unrealistic with the addition of cab in those days which wouldn’t have been there.
The language in this story is very effective. Wells makes the idea of death seem vivid and immediate throughout the lines of 18-44 e.g. “Those have been stained and killed” “I wish for my part we could stain and kill every one of them in the universe”. Bacteriologist is showing of significant it is to him that all cholera should be destroyed because of cautions and dangers”(pg 135).He use of “He” instead of “It” shows the precise person he is talking about e.g. He walked across the room and took up one of several sealed tubes” (pg 135).It also shows “He” to have power, the Anarchist is the one with the power. “He” refers to the power which is held. The personification of life and death is in his hand “The pestilence imprisoned”, pestilence meaning plague and imprisoned meaning it wants to be free.
The fear/tension created in Stolen Bacillus is a result of significance, the lack of scientific/medical advancement and the threat of epidemic as a result of the terrorist’s actions towards the deadly germ. The two contrasting stories discussed are written from very different perspectives in the creation of tension and suspense. The Red Room emphasising the physical aspects. The Stolen Bacillus the metaphysics. Both succeed in creating a theme of fear and tension.
The Man who could work Miracles adopts yet another different style of fear and tension. This is created not by physical description or fear of impending doom or catastrophe but by fear of being out of control. Within a setting characterised by literal description that emphasises a atmosphere of credulity and disbelief.
The man who could work miracles is about a man called George McWhirter Fotheringay who was a man of many qualities and one of these was the miraculous stunts he pulled off in the Long Dragon pub when with all of his mates. George made a lamp turn upside down without smashing and the candle not going out. The characters description is clown like even the name of the person e.g. “George McWhirter Fotheringay” This makes you think even more of a comic tone. At the beginning it seems the story is going no was it’s just a few bored locals sat in a pub but then one challenges another. That challenge was for him to levitate a lamb, as the reader this builds up suspense to see if the man succeeds and does the duty. As you may see the story has a different kind of tension and suspense built into it. This story isn’t a horror it’s a comedy looking at tension and suspense from a completely different point of view. The climax of the story although cataclysmic still remains an element of fantasy. An example of this is when George talks about miracles when we know that there can’t happen so this encourages us not to take the story serious “How bout miracles now?”
The three texts discussed in detail provide examples of the author’s ability to translate fear and fear of the impossible into plausible and entertaining stories. Each extensively using simile and metaphors to heighten tension and create atmosphere. Each story contrast with the others not only in pot but in technique and method in creating tension and suspense.