People associate darkness when something goes wrong and light as a sense of safety.
GOTHIC HORROR
Gothic horror is also more commonly known as perhaps the supernatural or even gothic fiction. This particular piece of writing was found to be immensely popular towards the end of the 17th century and early 18th century. Events that occur in a gothic horror vary very little and almost always the following will happen; -
- The large majority of the action takes place in sinister castle that usually has high arched ceilings.
- Shadows often play a big part in creating a mysterious, eerie, unearthing atmosphere.
- When it is dark or scary, people’s imagination can run away with them and something so innocent as a little draft that for instance, blows a candle out can seem immensely creepy and unnerving.
- There is in most cases a young hero, which symbolises innocence, stubbornness or determination within the plot. In the studied stories we have the Narrator from the ‘red room’, 28. Also Sandra from the ‘darkness out there’, teenager.
- Atmospheric variation can differ very little in Gothic horror, for instance eerie and ghostly situations can arise, as when in the ‘red room’ candles were blown out and the darkness and draughts.
- The plot will most often develop further when the hero (victim) is on their own, in darkness where unexplained sounds and happenings will occur. Also they can often involve the hero coming face to face with the truly horrid!
- In gothic horror more than most other type of stories, the gore element will feature heavily and scenes of cruelty and death can be integral to the plot.
- In 99% of these stories the climax will build up to a situation where good will have to encounter evil.
- Obvious examples of modern gothic horror are such as ‘Buffy the vampire slayer’, also then the spin of ‘Angel’. Films such as the ‘Haunting’ etc. The one that probably has the largest cult following is of course the ‘X files’ – this particular series can be described as both gothic horror and science fiction. However most gothic horror’s can usually have some sort of science fiction in them (but not as much the ‘X files’ though.
THE SETTING OF THE ‘RED ROOM’
- The main feature of this is that it is set in a mysterious castle.
- The story begins mid-sentence in a dimly lit room that is shared by the narrator and three old people. The narrator seems not bothered about the dangers and warnings that are given to him by the others. His vulnerability and inexperience shows as he claims that he has nothing to fear as he has never experienced anything in his twenty-eight years of life. This must seem laughable to the others as twenty-eight must seem like nothing at all.
- Creaking doors feature also in the castle. This could be a sign that the doors may not have been opened by human hands for a very long time, perhaps through fear or may be just neglect.
- There is, when approaching the room, some sort of subterranean passageway. That could symbolise death or being underground or just away from a safe place.
For example when “You go down the passage for a bit,” said he, “ until you come to a door,”
- As the narrator looks out of his bedroom window he can see a silver moonlight.
- There is a spiral staircase, this gives the sense of being out of control and unaware of what may lurk around the corner.
- In his room there is a very large widow (large enough for someone to climb!). as well as flickering firelight.
For instance when, “ Large sombre room, with its large shadowy window bays, its recesses and alcoves.”
- The statues appeared as other mysterious objects due to the dim light.
- The fact that the room is actually called the red room creates a sense of mystery and wonder to why it is called ‘red’.
- And of course it is at NIGHT.
THE SETTING OF THE ‘DARKNESS OUT THERE’
- It begins peaceful and tranquil. It is set in a rural pastoral area in summer time.
- The girl is walking through a field of flowers and seems without a care in the world.
For instance when, “She walked through flowers, the girl, ox-eye daises and vetch and cow parsley.”
“…, the girl, bare brown legs brushing through the grass, polleny summer grass that glinted in the sun.”
- This sort of beginning will always lure you into a sense of perhaps thinking that there is a simple romance towards the story or perhaps a romantic story line ahead.
- This sort of setting however is altered fairly quickly when the feature ‘packer end’ is introduced.
- ‘Packers end’ is a place mystery, as it seems to be feared by, by the pubic, especially children. It was said that a German plane came down in the war and the aircrew were killed.
“You didn’t go by yourself through ‘packers end’ if you could help it, not after tea time, anyway.”
- Early on we are told that there is a club that has been formed at school that was fairly popular. This was called the ‘good neighbours club’. This club was formed so that the young community could go out and help the older generation with simple odd jobs.
- Packer’s end itself is described as pretty horrid, there is barely any light able to pass through the overgrown weeds and trees and the vegetation is described as ‘rank’.
- However the cottage really does not fit the image of the general decay that lies around it in ‘packers end’. The cottage is called ‘nether’ and is owned by a Mrs Rutter. The cottage is seems warm and welcoming and the lady (Mrs Rutter) at first seems nice warm and welcoming also.
“She seemed composed of circles, a cottage loaf of a woman, with a face which chins collapsed one into another, a creamy smiling pool of a face…”
- Although even early on you can draw out a distinct level of uncertainty about her as following that she is described to have eyes that snapped and darted.
- Her garden view seems quite peculiar as it is described as a sort of ‘no mans land’ this may verify the war theme towards Mrs Rutter.
CHARACTERS IN THE RED ROOM
As the narrator first enters the castle or when he is already there, the first couple of pages tell us that there are three old people, two of these are misshapen and in some way deformed. Together they accumulate a withered arm, a bad leg that needs a crutch, an eye shade, a severe cough, someone shaking and yellow teeth.
The young potential hero judges them immediately and straight away finds them all repulsive and can’t wait to be shown to his room. Later on he will realise that they are his friends and that he perhaps should have appreciated them a little more.
The narrator is obviously vastly important his personality seems stubborn, arrogant and unafraid to whatever dangers may be out there, he also seems sceptical towards any supernatural being. He seems typically masculine but does not want to show his fear but to remain cool to the situation. He also seems afraid of the dark! Once he enters the room he is worried but by the time when he is about to leave it he is panic stricken.
CHARACTERS IN THE DARKNESS OUT THERE
Mrs Rutter is of course the most important person in this story, although you wouldn’t think that early on. At first she seems quite hospitable and warm, however there are great clues as to why immediately she is in fact the reverse and strangely perverse. Although she does seem generous and very grateful to the helpers. She also claims to have a 'sympathy with young people’ a sentiment that becomes strangely diverse from the truth.
She also claims to have an interest in ordinary feminine aspects such as sewing or dressmaking. When she tells the story of the horrific she is strangely matter o’ fact about the horrendous ordeal! We can say that she is a-moral. It is strange that she claims to have sympathy with young people and yet did not help the young pilot.
Sandra is an ordinary girl of that time, interested with the usual things such as sewing etc. she can be described as having a limited view, also when she is told the horrific story she seems as though she can forget it fairly easily.
The boy (Kerry) is definitely most interesting, not so much at first but definitely as the plot develops. He has an intriguing suspicion and can sense that the old woman has a peculiar quality. Also at the end of her story he claims that he was definitely scared and then shows a sign of sensitivity.
LANGUAGE IN THE RED ROOM
In the ‘red room’ there is constant, frequent preference to the supernatural.
An example of this could be when, “I half suspected the old people were trying to enhance the spiritual terrors of their house by their drowning insistence.”
Also, “for the moonlight coming in by the great window on the grand staircase picked out everything in vivid black shadow or silvery illumination.”
You can get the impression that the narrator is some sort of scientist as he is quite sceptical and speaks in a formal middle class way. The general language is very descriptive in its narration and fortunately contrasts very well indeed with that of the ‘darkness out there’.
THE LANGUAGE IN THE DARKNESS OUT THERE
The general language is varied, in fact sometimes almost poetic and very descriptive, especially when describing the scene of summer,
For instance when, “the girl bare brown legs brushing through the grass, the polleny grass that glinted in the sun”
However the ‘darkness out there’ changes somewhat as it goes from a nice relaxing colloquial style of language to an abrupt style is used through the shock of swearing.
All in all these two fantastic pieces of writing contrast very well as they both encounter many different styles of writing, from gothic to the supernatural to jolly to colloquial to strange … (the list goes on!)
