‘The Red Room’ by H.G.Wells, although being the newest of the 3 stories is well written in the respect that it has been written to have a timeless or ageless quality. Unlike Dickens and Conan Doyle, Wells did not want the
Story to be linked closely to the era that it was written in, i.e. during Queen Victoria’s reign. He wrote it in the old style of the Gothic Supernatural Thriller, that is to say that the story is set in a dark, mysterious castle that has a crooked past. Gothic Literature involves the author trying to terrify the reader using ghosts, ghouls and evil curses. This story is a psychological thriller that shows us that fear is a human weakness.
Now that I have summarised all 3 of the stories, I will now compare how each of the stories (all of them of the suspense genre) build up the atmosphere and setting that made them so popular. I will study all of them individually and then compare and contrast how each author has decided to envelop the reader into the story.
Firstly I will describe how the setting is created in Charles Dickens’ “The Signalman”. This story begins with the dialogue “Halloa! Below there!” which was not a common technique that was used; however, I think that it does indicate to us that those words are perhaps crucial to the story. After these initial words, Dickens then begins to work his magic by bringing us (the reader) into the story using his impressive descriptive techniques. After “conversing” with the Signalman, the narrator was told to come down and join him, whilst descending, he feels the “onslaught” of an incoming train, “Just then there came a vague vibration in the earth and air” here he describes how the train coming is like the appearance of a rampaging beast, who’s will is nothing but to kill man. I think it most likely that Dickens described it like this due to the historical and social context of the story, i.e. many people were fearful that travel at “awesome speeds” of 30mph might cause harm to people; also Dickens might be referring to his own personal experience as in the year prior to when “The Signalman” was wrote, Dickens himself was involved in a train accident.
In many instances in this particular story Dickens makes references to perhaps some supernatural features, “It was made through a clammy stone, that became oozier and wetter as I went down”. As is evident, Dickens hardly wants to make the reader feel at ease in this situation and perhaps wants to conjure up a feeling of uncertainty, something that is useful in the psychological build up of a supernatural suspense story. In meeting the man, the narrator realises that “there was something in the man that daunted me,” perhaps adding to the effect of the setting, this mysterious character seems uncanny. Even further suspicion is added when the narrator comments that “The monstrous thought came into my mind… that this was a spirit, not a man.” The somewhat sallowness of the Signalman seems to make him give off an unnatural aura.
It is with these uses that the general atmosphere and setting is created. We can tell that the story is something to do with the supernatural, as this setting (damp, dark and generally uninviting) seems to be the perfect home for a ghoul to reign without much notice. However, as we gradually become more absorbed into the story, we begin to think about various significances in the story, such as references to a “red light” at the end of the tunnel; as well as the Signalman’s seeming paranoia, “… he twice broke off with a fallen colour, turned his face towards the little bell which did NOT ring…and looked out towards the red light near the mouth of the tunnel”. Clearly something is not right with this Signalman and this is proved correct later on when he reveals that “… I am troubled, sir, I am troubled.” These small elements of information are prominent in the setting of these stories as they make curious as to what is troubling him.
In the Red Room, we have a similar style of writing, in which small things are revealed in order to create anxiety as to a situation, and never is this technique used more than in the psychological thriller which is “The Red Room.” Here, we have the tale of a young, seemingly arrogant, perhaps narcissistic man who seems to feel that everything is beneath him, “I can assure you… that it will take a very tangible ghost to frighten me.”
‘The Red Room’ is different to the other stories in the respect that it tries to portray a more “gothic” type of thriller, this includes the “usual suspects” such as a haunted castle and a strange mix of people, all whom seem to know more than they let on to the narrator (usually the main character). Our characters are all very old and seemingly deformed “…the man with the withered arm” “a second man entered, more bent, more wrinkled, more aged than the first.”
Often references are made to minor; perhaps trivial defects of the castles clientele, “these grotesque custodians” and on many times you infer that something more is going on, “This night of all nights.” On making his way to the “Red Room,” our resident narcissist (the narrator) makes his way through a “chilly echoing passage” which then becomes a “long, draughty, subterranean passage.” These physical features, such as the draught, are perhaps a physical manifestation of his increasing fear. In the room, he finds himself uncomfortable, perhaps due to “the tale of a timid wife and the tragic end that came to her husband’s jest of frightening her.” Evidently, these tales have hardly helped to ward off his fore coming apprehension.
Gradually, this apprehension turns to fear, “I was now almost frantic with the horror of the coming darkness, and my self possession deserted himself ,” his fear has become so much that he no longer has control of him, this is perhaps an insight into the tales of the “haunted red room.” Eventually, his fear takes total control of him, until he knocks himself out and falls down the stairs. The man then awakes in the company of the 3 “deformed” inhabitants of the castle where he tells them of his ordeal, “Fear that will not have light or sound, that will not bear with reason, which deafens and darkens and overwhelms.” We see here what effects the human psyche can have in relation to a particular place, nothing supernatural was occurring, yet he felt a strong fear; perhaps it is better that we sometimes lie in ignorance as sometimes truths can merely increase our anxiety and trepidation.
Finally, I shall look at the atmosphere and setting created in Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s “The Man with the Twisted Lip.” This story is a suspense story, but not of the genre described in either of the previous stories. This Sherlock Holmes story begins at the home of Doctor Watson. This warm setting seems to give the feeling of security and comfort; this however, seems more than likely to change when someone rings the bell, “there came a ring to my bell…” After a brief conversation, Watson eventually ends up leaving his home (the place of security) to leave for an opium den in the farthest east of the City.
As soon as Watson begins describing this East London setting, it becomes evident that it is an undesirable place “Upper Swandam Lane is a vile alley lurking behind the high wharves,” with the word “lurking” all but adding to the suspicion already aroused. As Watson makes his way through Upper Swandam Lane we are confronted with perhaps some other problems of the Victorian era, but instead of opium addiction (which was a “Gentleman’s” habit as only they could afford it) we have the problems of the “common” people, and East London was the poorest of the poor, “Between a slop-shop and a gin-shop.”
The Bar of Gold is hardly any contrast, Once again we are perused with that idea of “dark” and “lurking” that hardly makes the reader feel comfortable. Before I carry on with the analysis of the atmosphere and setting, I think that I should perhaps explain some more of the Historical Context of the situation. London’s East End was the poorest part of the City, and obviously this would mean that the crime rates were exceedingly high; now in the situation that we have in “The Man with the Twisted Lip” we have an Opium Den, which would have been a prime spot for muggers as they knew that the people coming out of the “dens” would be both rich and “drunk” with opium.
As Watson enters the Den, we see how once again we don’t have a friendly or inviting setting, “Through the gloom one could dimly catch a glimpse of bodies lying in strange fantastic poses…” Although this story is not that of the supernatural, these “fantastic poses” could perhaps be classified as “paranormal” or “unnatural,” evidence that something is not right.
After finding his “man” Watson is just leaving the den when a mysterious old man seems to be speaking to him. He then looks back at this “tall, thin old man…” and realises that it is in fact Sherlock Holmes in disguise. The presence of Holmes puts now the story into context, there is a crime to be solved! Holmes quickly reveals to Watson his predicament and then takes him off to Lee, Kent where they experience another friendly setting, the house of Mrs. St. Clair which is described as a “large villa which stood within its own grounds,” Immediately we feel as if we are back in civilisation, away from the dark and gloom of the East End.
I think that these Authors of the Victorian period were very contemporary (which obviously was the best idea if they wished to make money!) as they give the Victorian reader what they want in a suspense story. They provide the dark, foreboding settings that allow the imagination to run riot. In Charles Dickens’ “The Signalman” we have the mystery surrounding the somewhat “ghostly” Signalman and the seeming significance of the red light that resides at the end of a “dark” tunnel. In H.G.Wells “The Red Room” we have the mystery surrounding the castle, and the darkness and uncomforting atmosphere of the room itself. Then we have Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s “The Man with the Twisted Lip” in which we have the contrast, from the civilised world of Suburbia to the gloom and murk that is East London (in Victorian times, smog was not uncommon so this description is very literal).
In Conclusion, I think that all of these stories have succeeded as short suspense stories; I believe this due to the fact that they introduce us into the story as well as creating settings that related to the reader. I find it strange reading some of these stories of how much London and perhaps England has changed since the period of Victoria’s rule but as I stated earlier, this was a time of unprecedented change. Therefore, I can conclude that had these stories not produced the atmosphere and setting that they have, then they would not have been anywhere near as popular, regardless of the contemporary factor, As without a setting, the plot doesn’t seem as interesting.
