What techniques does H G Wells use to create fear in" The Red Room"?

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Student Name: Isa Abdur Rahman

Course Work Unit: Pre-Twentieth Century Prose

Subject: English & English Literature

  • What techniques does H G Wells use to create fear in “The Red Room”?

‘The Red Room’, authored by the pen of H G Wells, is a detailed account of an encounter that occurred between an individual, and a force, of which no explanation lies in the understanding of man. The author, one who is greatly renowned for his commendable writings, uses the title, in collaboration with the setting, the characters and the diction in this piece to ignite a raging fear in the mind of the reader. The title of this tale, ‘The Red room’, thus commences his efforts, as it, in itself indicates exorcism, or a prevalent evil derived from the word ‘red’. The ‘room’ itself further magnifies this suspense as the sprit is confined to a certain area, and thus increasing its concentration to a specific place. Furthermore ‘The red room’, also rhymes with, ‘The bed room’, showing a permanent residence of the presence, yet moreover, as the bed room is one used during the night, the sprit, only at night, becomes active.  The author also applies alliteration, in the title to further strengthen this. Additional connotations to this title also encircle blood, danger, wrath, murder and brute anger.

Amongst the numerous and varying methods employed by the author, one has been infixed to depict the key character in as one in excess of confidence, possibly even arrogance. This further consequates terror as the reader is aware, ‘that the bigger they are, the harder they fall’. The nature of the character is illustrated by style of conversation that he upholds. The story commences by the line in which he states that ‘it would take a very tangible ghost to frighten him’, showing his disbelief, in ghosts, coinciding with his disbelief of the encounters of his present companions, and that the perils of the house had been exceeded by their ‘droning insistence’. The sarcasm also uttered by the individual further re-enforces this, for then he says that ‘I will relieve you of the task of entertaining me’ And furthermore upon character structure by the author, not one character is named, distancing them from the reader, also arousing suspicion as to whether they are human, or partake of the menacing sprit. Their descriptions are of grotesque in it pinnacle. The initial participant of conversation is not named, but referred to as the one with ‘the withered arm’.  Withered showing a product of waste, as though rotten away, possibly consumed by himself, as though a cannibal. Yet, the character upon most fear is built is the female that sits ‘sits staring hard into the fire’ with ‘her pale eyes wide open’{pg34}. Characters such as the one being discussed cause great fear as the reader is burdened as to think what has created such a mood in her. Little does she speak, or move, yet continuously glares in to the depths of the fire, thinking. Yet what is she thinking? Is the question put forward by the author, and why is it she seeks the refuge of the fire when contemplating on her thoughts?. Even upon the arrival of their friend, she takes little notice and ‘remained with her eyes fixed on the fire’. The final character to this eccentric trio is a man, who is described of as ‘more bent, more wrinkled more aged than the first’. Also ‘his lower lip, half averted, hung pale and pink from his decaying yellow teeth’. Their age is a contributor to there peculiarity. The possibility of them being from an age prior to our, and of them being partakers of the menace they are induced further by their senility. These thought also continue to mystify the narrator, as he says that their time, was one where ‘omens and witches were credible’, and ‘their fashions born in dead brain’. Also, their age may have created in them a madness, leading the reader to believe that their visions may have been that of their imaginations. The author has also placed in each of the trio, a disability. Although this may not create great fear, the reasons for their incapacitation is undisclosed. A chance therefore lies in the possibility that the undetermined presence that lurks in the location may have caused this damage to them, therefore associating the being to not only a spiritual factor, but also to a physical one.

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The setting of the story also builds considerable fear in the mind of the reader. The atmosphere of a gothic castle forlays the foundation of the idealic scenario for any horror story. By it, the author is able to link deeds of the past to present consequences. The story itself, ceases with the quotation that fear will exist, ‘so long as this house of sin endures’. Also, the condition of any ancient castle provides eeriness, as its prehistoric floor, and bound to ‘creek’, as so are its doors. Also its ‘long draughty subterranean passages were chilly, and cold’, indicating ...

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