The Cone Section
In The Cone the narration is in third person. This gives the impression that the characters are almost detached from the story, they could die at any moment. In parts where Raut is tense, you go into his mind. The visits into Raut’s mind are usually filled with questions: “Did the man mean to take the thing coolly? Did he after all know? How long had he been in the room?” This shows his confusion and fear. Raut sounds the same as wrought, this shows that H G Wells has designed Raut to be on edge- wrought nerves. Much personification is made for the furnace, Horrock’s pet: “[regarding the furnace] I’ve a particular fancy for HIM” This increases the idea that this thing could easily go out of control. If it were referred to without personification e.g. machine the reader would believe it was completely under control, with human description comes human cunning and in recent years around Europe, human betrayal and revolution. Much of what is said inside the iron works is relating to death: “blood-red vapour as red and hot as sin…it is as white as death” This constant referral to death builds tension because the reader is unsure if Horrocks knows about the affair and, if so, what he will do as reprisal. A metaphor is made about ghosts on the molten iron eddies: “…an incessant succession of ghosts coming up from the black and red eddies…” This gives the impression that many people may have died in this place. When Horrocks in killing Raut he shouts “Boil! Boil! Boil!” this triple alliteration technique is a good way of emphasising and making something more dramatic, it is still used much by modern politicians in their speeches. The excessive use of exclamation marks adds to the created emphasis and tension.