Ghost Stories

Introduction

Nowadays, if someone were asked to give a definition of a ghost story, or to think of words related to such stories, then I suspect they would probably use the following terms; gore, blood, violence, grotesque inhuman figures, etc. No more than 150 years ago, all one needed for a successful horrific tale was the use of odd happenings and religious references. The realism of the tales created a mental thought process; the reader believed the events were possible. This increased the tension. Religious beliefs made imaginations run wild. In the ghost stories of today, the horror is all created on the page, hardly leaving anything to the imagination. In the 19th Century, however, all the horror was created in the head; metaphorically speaking, the writer provided the bones, and the reader added the flesh.

Generally, all a ghost story needs is a spectre, visible or invisible, or a haunting of some sort. The phantom need only be sensed, or at the very least, supposed.

The writer must also build up a successful atmosphere: a mood, setting, and time, all of which must comply with the basis of the story.

Not all ghost stories need to be horrific or violent; that is what many modern horror tales have at fault. A ghost story can be sad or poignant. Sometimes they can even be humorous.

Well written ghost stories have a decipherable, clear storyline, with an introductory problem being stated or hinted, a focal section showing the problem, with a concluding section with an understandable solution, or a cliff-hanger leaving the readers on the edge of their seats, anticipating a sequel. That is what most great ghost stories consist of; of course there are some exceptions. On the other hand, a ‘trashy’ anecdote is most likely to consist of direct gore and violence; no storyline, nothing to follow. Although description may be impeccable, it still lacks the crucial aspect that every story piece of fiction needs, a plot.

This essay compares three pre-20th Century stories, each with elements of gothic Horror; The Monkey’s Paw, The Red Room, and The Withered Arm.

Part 1

The situation of a story (the atmosphere, setting, characters, enigmas, etc) plays a very vital part in the success of a ghost story. It may determine whether the reader continues, it may affect the reader’s reaction to the peak of the tale.

The situation in the Monkey’s Paw is set in an old, isolated house, away from civilisation, where nobody could hear you scream – a typical element of Gothic Horror. ‘That’s the worst of living so far out… pathway’s a bog, and the road’s a torrent… only two houses on the road are let’ exclaims Mr White whilst completing a game of chess with his son. This suggests that modern day appliances such as the internet, video games, televisions, etc are not available, another aspect of the gothic era. Despite this, a false sense of security is developed; the fire burns bright, there is a friendly game of chess being played, and mild conversation brewing.

The house is portrayed to be in the middle of nowhere, which heightens the probability of a disaster or trauma; this creates tension – the reader begins to foresee what may happen.

The initial characters – Mr, Mrs, & Herbert White – seem like kind, warm-hearted people. They seem quite vulnerable, the type that are susceptible to attack.

Next, an enigma is introduced, brought by a man who has been travelling in India. A monkey’s paw, supposedly with a curse on it, giving the owner three wishes.

The Red Room is much like the Monkey’s Paw. The house seems very ghostly and old, as if tucked away in dense woodland. Society also seems a great distance from the castle in this instance. Later it states that the manor is very large; one could easily get lost inside. Again, an isolated, large building is a typical element of Gothic literature.

All four characters are introduced in the introductory paragraphs, two old men, one old woman, and the narrator, a 28 yr old man. Every one, with the exception of the narrator, has a visible disfigurement, an additional aspect of gothic horror. One old man has a withered arm, the other, more bent, wrinkled and aged than the first, has an incredibly blemished face, and a spluttering, raucous cough. The old woman merely has her wide, pale eyes fixed on the blazing fire, yet it still gives a creepy effect, as it seems she resembles a spectre of some sort.

A mysterious haunting is next established; a room in the house which has not been entered in many years, allegedly because of a spectre occupying it. The main character declares he wishes to investigate; the others stay seated. ‘If you go to the red room tonight… you go alone’ said the man with the withered arm. The old woman exclaims ‘Tonight of all nights’. This shows that the room must be very dangerous to venture in, especially on that specific night.

The Withered Arm, however, is very different from a typical ghost story. The atmosphere is very casual and calm, ...