How the writer creates interest in the story

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Bana Emanuel        Page  of         

Introduction

In my essay I will be examining the various methods used by writers, to keep the readers interested in their short stories. I shall be looking at certain techniques which create and keep interest, such as openings, language, characters, settings, plot, hints, build ups, mystery, atmosphere, tension, twists and climax. I have chosen three short stories, to which I will be referring and using as examples to support and explain my theories. The three short stories I have chosen to use include the following: The Tell-Tale Heart, The Landlady and The Monkey’s Paw.

 The Tell-Tale Heart is my favorite of the three stories. It was written in 1843 by a famous author named Edgar Allan Poe. (Allan Poe suffered from epilepsy, and fear of being buried alive, as people often were during his time. When ever a person would fall unconscious, they were mistaken for dead and often woke to find themselves trapped in a coffin, 6ft under.) The Tell-Tale Heart is written in first person by the character, who is tying to prove he is not mad by explaining his reason for, and describing the events of how he committed murder. The character talks the readers through the events of how he murdered an old man simply because he did not like his eye. He tells us that he decided to “take the life of the man, and thus rid himself of the eye forever”. Soon after, he is overcome with guilt and the story concludes with him confessing to the murder and revealing the whereabouts of the dead body. This happens after he mistakes his own heartbeat, for that of the dead mans’. However, the central character does not believe this, instead he insists that the police were already aware of his “deeds” and were only there to taunt him. He describes them as “making a mockery” of his “horror”.  My main reason for choosing The Tell-Tale Heart is because I particularly like the opening to this story. I love the use of language as well as the character in general. I also like the way the main character is used as a narrator. The story has a strong, intense build up which creates much interest and concludes with a exceptionally powerful ending.

The Monkey’s paw is the most mysterious of the three short stories. It is set in the 19th century in the home of a small family. This family of mother, father and son are patiently awaiting the arrival of their guest.

 

Sergeant-Major Morris is a friend of Mr. White and had come to visit him after having spent twenty-one years in India. With him, he brought stories of “strange scenes and doughty deeds; of wars and plagues and strange peoples”. He also brought with him a Monkey’s Paw.

To look at, the Monkey’s Paw was just a talisman, “an ordinary little paw, dried to a mummy”. The special thing about it, that made it more than just an ordinary little paw, was that it had a spell put on it. Three separate men could each have three separate wishes. Two different men had already used the monkey’s paw, one of them being Sergeant-Major Morris. So Mr. White decided that as the paw was of no use to his friend he would have the monkey’s paw for himself. Even after receiving grave warnings from his guest to destroy the talisman, Mr. White chose to keep it. That night he wished for 200 pounds (just enough to clear the house debts). The next morning, after no sign of 200 pounds, the family laughed at the idea of being granted three wishes. They laughed at the idea of themselves even “listening to such nonsense”.

After some time had passed, Mr. and Mrs. White were waiting for their son to arrive home from work, while they sat ridiculing the idea of the monkey’s paw. It was not long before the “mysterious movements of a man outside” interrupted them. After inviting him inside they learned that their son had got caught in the machinery at work, and died. Not only had he died, but the firm for which he worked presented the Whites with a “certain sum” as compensation for their loss. Two Hundred pounds.

About one week after burying their only son, the Whites used the monkey’s paw to make their second wish. This time they wished their “son alive again”. Just few moments after, they heard a knock on their door and Mrs. White ran off to open the door for whom she believed to be her “boy”. However, Mr. White who had been reluctant to wish in the first place was on his hands and knees groping wildly on the floor in search of the paw. At that same moment he’d heard the door about to open, he found the monkey’s paw. Mr. White feared that his wish would bring back his “mutilated son”, and so at that precise moment he breathed his third and final wish. Suddenly the knocking ceased and his wife gave a long loud wail of disappointment.

The Monkey’s Paw creates interest throughout the whole story and has such an effective build up that I had to use it. It lures the in reader by being mysterious during the opening and then dropping hints. It then holds on to the readers’ interest by revealing amazing twists and ending with a great climax.

I Used To Live Here Once is the shortest of my chosen three. It is written by Jean Rhys and is only 30 sentences long. Although it’s completely different to the other two, it is equally interesting.

 I Used To Live Here is not a story of fear, nor does it fit into any other genre. It is so ambiguous that you can not class or even explain its meaning with much certainty. It could mean so many things. All you can do is describe the events that happen and let the reader express they’re own opinion. I’m sure there are many different views on this story.

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I Used To Live Here Once involves a women who is returning to her old neighborhood after a long time. We, the readers, join her on her journey that leads us to the house she used to live in. On her journey, she discovers that many things have things have changed; yet it is still the same place. When she comes across the two children who live in the house; a young girl and boy, she tries to talk to them. After her third attempt the boy looks straight into her eyes and does not even change his expression. It ...

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