Arisara K. 10 V
The success of “The Withered Arm” and “The Red Room” depends largely upon the author’s ability to create suspense. Discuss the various forms of suspense, evident in both short stores. Effective or not?
Superstitious beliefs and supernatural stories still play a main part in the modern world although they are slowly fading away through the generations. For instance a short story by Thomas Hardy, a 19th Century author and poet who wrote “The Withered Arm” and “The Red Room” by H. G. Wells which is a typical Victorian ghost story that contains Gothic mystery. Suspense and mystery are created in various forms in both stories through the chilling atmosphere created by the effective use of language of the authors.
Hardy begins the story by creating an intriguing scene, without informing the readers of any previous detailed information about Rhoda Brooke and Farmer Lodge’s relationship, this makes the readers curious about it. “Their course lay apart from that of the others, to a lonely spot high above of the water-meads, and not far from the border of Egdon Heath, whose dark countenance was visible in the distance” Rhoda lived with a boy whom Hardy chooses never to give a name, to emphasise how un-important he is and how his father rejects him. Hardy sets the story in the fictional village of Holmstoke, the world “stoke” means fire. This gives the readers two impressions, one of comfortable feelings and another impression which associates with bad things like hell and witchcraft. The location of Rhoda‘s house instantly suggests how emotionally isolated she is. Her intense jealousy of Gertrude can be noticed by the way she demands her son to spy on Gertrude’s appearance. “If she’s dark or fair, and if she’s tall –as tall as I” by this she is trying to compare the new wife to herself. The description of Rhoda given by Hardy, “pale cheek and dark eyes” gives the readers an image of a woman with dark magic or she is perhaps, a witch. In contrast to Rhoda’s unattractive appearance, Gertrude is described as “soft and evanescent, like the light under a heap of rose-petals” As the story develops, the mood of jealously becomes clear through the vision that Rhoda sees. Her jealousy is what leads to the first element of the supernatural which is her nightmare. Stricken with jealousy, her subconscious thoughts surface in her sleep as she innocently dreams of grabbing Gertrude’s arm ‘in a last desperate effort, swung out her right hand, seized the confronting spectre by its obtrusive left arm.’ Rhoda’s first reaction to Gertrude is of horror and fear. In her dream, she sees Mrs. Lodge as a figure ‘with features shockingly distorted and wrinkled by old age.’ Hardy uses simple diction to convey the horror of the nightmare. He also uses emotive language like ‘maddened’ and ‘mockingly’. Rhoda’s nightmare can be explained as coincidence, as a physical manifestation of the girl’s unconscious awareness of the situation. Rhoda’s dream creates suspense and words such as phantom keep it going. The situation becomes extraordinary when the young wife’s arm is deformed like the vision. Rhoda feels guilty and confused but the coincidence of the vision is not explainable, this keeps the readers’ focus to the deformity. It also causes a rhetorical question such as, Is Rhoda involved? Or did she cause this pain through the vision? The deformity increases and her husband starts to abandon her, “it makes my husband dislike me- mo, love me less. Men think so much of personal appearance.” “There was nothing of the nature of a wound, but the arm at that point had a shrivelled look” this emphasises that the wound is not natural and is probably involved with witchcraft. Interestingly, she went to Rhoda to company her to Conjuror Trendle. “It was a long walk; thick clouds made the atmosphere dark, thought it was yet only early afternoon” the use of pathetic fallacy conveys that some evil force is causing the dark atmosphere and some supernatural power is about to be review itself. The first encounter of Conjuror Trendle and the two women conveys a sinister atmosphere. “ He looked singularly at Rhoda the first moment he beheld her” this suggests that Conjuror Trendle can notice something unnatural about Rhoda, maybe he can see the dark forces that are present around her. Hardy uses Conjuror Trendle to helps create an impression of mystery and uncontrollable forces. Just the fact that he lives on the heath starts to make the reader feel a sense of mystery. He practices his magic in secret. “He did not profess his remedial practices openly” Another symbol of evil force presents again when Trendle advises her “you must touch with the limb of the neck of a man who’s been hanged” The dead body in question is the son of Farmer Lodge and his pervious wife, Rhoda. The theme of fate is emphasised by the strangeness of the gathering of the four characters at the dark jail. The setting of the jail builds up tension and keeps the readers enthralled with the situation. The last chapter, “A Rencounter” immediately grabs the reader’s attention with curiosity. “Immediately behind her stood Rhoda Brook, her face drawn, her eyes red with weeping”…… “Gertrude’s own husband; his countenance lined, his eyes dim, but without fear” the descriptions of the character’s dramatic facial expressions suggest that this is a sinister situation, something evil is going to happen. “This is the meaning of what Satan showed me in the vision”, at last Rhoda confesses about the evil force upon her and it emphasizes that Satan and witchcraft play a principal role in the story.
