How does the writer create tension and suspense in the 'Monkey's Paw'

        Another way in which suspense and tension is created is through with holding information. When Sergeant- Major Morris enters, we are not given much information about why he is there or for what purpose. All that we do know is that he is a friend of Mr White. The adjectives used to describe the sergeant are also negative. ‘Beady of eye and rubicund of visage’ both give an image of someone who seems drunk or is on the edge. We get the feeling that he has drinking problem or is very violent. This helps increase the level of tension as we have no idea as to how this man will act.

        Suspense is created when the sergeant is reluctant to tell the Whites about what he has in his hand. ‘Leastways nothing worth hearing’, creates tension as the reader is keen to know the secret about the Monkey’s Paw. Once the sergeant is persuaded into talking about the paw he does not rush into it. He gives out information about the paw and its power very gradually. This creates suspense as we want to know everything about the paw and yet the sergeant is only giving small pieces of the puzzle.

        ‘I don’t know what the first two were, but the third was for death’, from this quote we can see how the author manages to create tension as we know that eventually people will die due to the wishes that they have made.

        In many gothic stories there is always conflict between the superstition and scepticism which helps create tension as the reader is more likely to believe what the superstitious person has to say, as we know that in the end, the sceptical people will be punished for not believing the story.

        To create tension the author sets out the story into section of tension points. This is effective as it means that there are peak and valleys in tension throughout the story, which is effective as it gives the reader time to relax before the next major tension point. The first section of tension is when Mr White makes his first wish for two hundred pounds. As we are distracted for a while by the piano playing, the talisman moves in the old mans hand. The tension is released, as the family jokes about how the money will be tied up in a bag in the middle of the bed. But once the son and mother leave, the tension rises again as now one of the characters is left alone, with the paw.

The final climax of the story happens at the end, when Mr White wishes his son alive again. There is conflict between the two characters which add to the suspense and tension when there is a knock at the door. Mr White does not want to let his son in, while Mrs White wants to open the door. As Mrs White struggles with the latch, the last wish is made by the old man, but we do not hear what the actual wish is.

        ‘The knocking ceased suddenly, although the echoes of it were still in the house’, is the point where the tension is at its peak, and the door is open by Mrs White. This tension is then released by a ‘loud wail of disappointment’ which tells us that the final wish had come true.