This is enforced by the language that is used in the stories effectively represents an abnormal and supernatural atmosphere. In ‘‘The Signalman’ the language used to describe the train tunnel creates an image of a dark grotto ‘Gloomier entrance to a black tunnel’. These words carry powerful imagery such as ‘black’ suggests not that the tunnel is just dark and devoid of light which is already depressing but it even worse as it is pitch black, this creates mystery as to what the tunnel hides. This is disturbing because it gives a sense of mystery and suspense; it creates an image of an entrance into something strange and abnormal. Additionally the word gloomy suggests that this tunnel contains something ominous. This is also enhanced by the choice of the setting itself as tunnels aren’t cheerful places themselves.
Similarly in ‘The Red Room’, the language used to depict the appearance of the room is effective in creating an eerie and sombre atmosphere. ‘The sombre reds and blacks of the room troubled me; even with seven candles the place was merely dim’ this excerpt paints an image of room so dark that the character requires seven candles to make it merely dim this is strange even to a modern reader as the custom is just one candle not six, and this increases the possibility of horror and evil occurring in the story as they thrive in these conditions and also as this is a gothic novel the reader expects such thing to occur. Furthermore the colours red and black symbolize hell, this gives the image the red room is an entrance to hell. And the naming of ‘The Red Room’ as red which is a colour that indicates panic and alarm, but more importantly is a symbol of blood and injury.
This enhanced by the use of narrator in ‘The Red Room’ and ‘The Signalman’ are sophisticated, rational and logical men. They are not easily persuaded but require physical proof not hearsay. In ‘The Red Room’ is arrogant and prejudiced against supernatural explanations. Even when the candles are systematically put out he states’ that draft's a strong one" trying to place a logical reason behind what happened, even though he knows that the candles are being turned off. Also the choice of the narrator in ‘The Red Room’ gives the prose an added aspect of irony as the reader has seen the character in his confident and arrogant stage ‘I can assure you; that it will take a very tangible ghost to scare me’ in the beginning of the prose, but as the story progresses he is reduced into a bumbling fool who got scared by candles getting put out ‘I was now almost frantic with horror of the coming darkness’
However in ‘The Signalman’ the narrator is also a sensible and logical person who also doesn’t believe hearsay but doesn’t suffer the arrogance and the belief of superiority of the character in ‘The Red Room’. This is evident when the narrator tries to calm the Signalman by telling him that the ghost he just say is his mind playing tricks on him ‘I showed him that this figure must be a deception of his sense of sight’ this would have caused the reader to speculate that the issue is in ‘The Signalman’, and it is all work of his imagination but the Signalman elaborated that an accident occurred after the sighting. Then the narrator starts to question himself along with the narrator ‘A disagreeable shudder crept over me, but I did my best against it. It was not to be denied’ This creates apprehension and suspense as the reader has seen the narrator previously opposing the mere thought of a ghost or spectre, but now he is removing the belief which is starting to creep on him. Showing that the man of such scepticism towards the issue of the spectre at the start has turned his point of view to face daunting thoughts causes the reader to achieve a higher level of suspense.
The author in ‘The Signalman’ chooses a location of the tracks to create an inhospitable and daunting environment. The authors wording creates the sense of seclusion of the train tracks. This is shown by ‘Deep Trench’. The way the location is portrayed gives an image of the tracks being partially underground. This psychical location here is partially isolated from humanity. ‘Rough zigzag descending path’, the author is showing how unreachable and remote the location is, showing the only access is through an inhospitable place, and the zigzag of the road indicates that it is a path and it is not even properly made.
Similar to ‘The Signalman’ ‘The Red Room’ expresses a gloomy and depressing environment by the use of location and isolation. The writer keeps certain pieces of information in the dark, away from the reader this helps to create tension and suspense. This is shown in the beginning of the story, with the story beginning with three unknown characters conversation. ‘I can assure you that a very tangible ghost will scare me’. This creates suspense as the reader sense of curiosity is dealt a deft blow that compels them to continue reading the story sitting on the edge of their seats. The complete and utter isolation of the room creates the tension by the fact if something should go wrong; help is not a viable option. And as the story progresses we find out that the psychical isolation of the room is isolated even more than the castle itself. This shown by the writer by;’ spiral staircase’, ‘long corridor’ and ‘until you come to a door’. This lengthy description and the use of these words greatly emphasises the isolated location of ‘The Red Room’, they are so isolated to the extent that the screams of the narrator were not heard later on in the story.
Furthermore in ‘The Red Room’ the setting is in a gothic environment which is the medieval castle, which is the standard for many eerie and terrifying stories. This was done to give the story a certain uneasy feeling that something wicked is going to occur. With the room itself in a ‘Shadowy corner’ and is covered b darkness ‘shadowed’. The word ‘Shadowed’ is often repeated when describing the room. This gives the reader a feeling that the mass of shadows in the room is unnatural and that the abnormal is occurring. Also the choice of the character applies with the theme of a gothic story by the choice of a Byronic hero. Who is a staple in gothic literature, who is extremely arrogant ‘It would to take a very tangible to scare me’ and a self destructive quest which in this case is the desire to be in a room that has been reported as haunted and where deaths have occurred.
The signalman also displays elements of gothic literature such as the location which is isolated and decayed which we know that from the ‘Rough zigzag descending path’ that the area is so decayed that there isn’t a proper road or at least a path to the area and this also accentuates the loneliness. This in addition with presenance of death that strewn across the story ‘six hours after the appearance, the memorable accident on this line happened' increases the suspense and adds to the element of gothic literature.
Overall the writers use many different effects to create atmosphere and suspense from setting the characters in total isolation or the use of emotive and descriptive language. Bt by enhancing the effects of the atmosphere (through using the pre- mentioned techniques), the writer gives credibility and reality to the story, which in turn makes it easier for the reader to become emotionally attached.
Monir M. El-Koussy