Explain what makes a good mystery story, based on your understanding of 'The Red Room' by H.G. Wells, 'The Speckled Band' by Arthur Conan Doyle and 'The Signalman' by Charles Dickens.
Explain what makes a good mystery story, based on your understanding of 'The Red Room' by H.G. Wells, 'The Speckled Band' by Arthur Conan Doyle and 'The Signalman' by Charles Dickens. Introduction In the following essay I intend to analyse the three short mystery stories, 'The Red Room', 'The Speckled Band' and 'The Signalman'. For each of the three stories I will explain how mystery and suspense is created with the use of language, characters, and setting. The Victorian era was a period of dramatic change with the advancement in industry, science, technology, medicine and travel and there was a growing interest in the supernatural, which is reflected throughout the three short stories I have decided to analyse. Each of the three stories is based on these changes in their own different ways which made them popular amongst the audience of the Victorian period. Ghost stories were most popular in the Victorian era around the gothic genre. The setting was most likely to be in an old house or building, a graveyard or somewhere secluded. Pathetic fallacy was often used to create a gloomy atmosphere. The horror or ghost in the story was often not fully described, leaving room for the readers own interpretations. The victim was most likely to be someone sensible and blind to the supernatural, which is reflected in the Red Room as a scientist tries to unfold the mystery of
Compare two short stories written before 1900. Explore how the writer’s have crafted their own stories, in terms of structure and language in order to produce a growing sense of tension and intrigue.
Compare two short stories written before 1900. Explore how the writer's have crafted their own stories, in terms of structure and language in order to produce a growing sense of tension and intrigue. For my essay I am going to compare 'The Signal-Man' by Charles Dickens (1866) and 'The Red Room' by H.G Wells (1896). I am going to look at how the writers have crafted their language and structure to produce a growing sense of tension and intrigue. Herbert George Wells was born on September 21st 1866, in Bromley, Kent. He was educated at the Normal School of Science in London. He worked as a draper's apprentice, bookkeeper, tutor, and journalist then in 1885 he became a full-time writer. H.G Wells is best known for his science fiction novels, which often depict the triumphs of technology and also the horrors of 20th century warfare. He also wrote closely about his own experiences and ordeals. Wells died at the age of 80 years, on August 13th, 1946, in London. Charles John Huffam Dickens was born on February 7th, 1812, in Portsmouth, but spent most of his life in London and Kent. He started school at the age of nine, but soon was removed to support his family when his father was imprisoned for debt. Dickens was humiliated by this, and in one of his novels almost completely re-told the story in 'David Copperfield' (1849-1850). He later returned to school, but he was mostly
Discuss the effectiveness of the ghost stories by Dickens, Hughes and Rhys. Show some awareness of social, historical and cultural influences on the stories; be sure to include some comparisons of texts.
Coursework Assignment - Wider Reading Discuss the effectiveness of the ghost stories by Dickens, Hughes and Rhys. Show some awareness of social, historical and cultural influences on the stories; be sure to include some comparisons of texts. We have three different ghost stories to compare in this assignment. They are: 'The Signalman' by Charles Dickens, 'The Ghost' by Richard Hughes and 'I Used to Live Here Once' by Jean Rhys. The three stories, although all ghost stories, differ by a great deal. The Dickens story is the longest, about thirteen sides, and the Rhys story is the shortest, just the one side, with the Hughes story in between at around four and a half sides. In this essay I am going to talk about the effectiveness of each one individually and then compare the stories against each other. At the end I will say which story I liked the best and why. I will start by talking about the Dickens story. The Dickens story is like the classic ghost story with all the dark, Gothic descriptions and the close comparisons with hell. It is there to give you a good scare; that is its purpose. He is attempting to entertain. However, there is some moral significance to the story (see later). The descriptions are extremely detailed and vivid and although a short story, it does not lack punch and immerses the reader into the story making them feel like they are actually there.
Short, entertaining stories were extremely popular within the Victorian era, and a number of popular writers emerged, captivating their Victorian audience with their suspenseful tales. Elizabeth Gaskell, Wilkie Collins and Charles Dickens
Prose Study Short, entertaining stories were extremely popular within the Victorian era, and a number of popular writers emerged, captivating their Victorian audience with their suspenseful tales. Elizabeth Gaskell, Wilkie Collins and Charles Dickens were all respected authors in this era, and they produced three of the most tense short stories ever created; 'The Old Nurse's Story,' 'The Black Cottage' and 'The Black Veil', which cater for Victorian tastes. Therefore, each story boasts a moral that the writers have chosen to present in equally effective ways. These taught the Victorians how to live their lives, and followed the teachings of the Christian faith, while also revealing the writers' social concerns. Each writer has chosen their own distinctive ways to present their Victorian story, and the openings are designed to attract their readers into their tale. 'The Old Nurse's Story' has been written in first person, in order to convey the feelings of Hester, to the readers that she was 'mighty proud' to be selected as a 'nurse-maid'. 'The Black Cottage' uses Bessie for first person narration, and her feelings about her 'foster-sister' and how she will remember the 'kindness and friendship' 'gratefully to the last day of' her 'life'. This gives the readers Bessie's feelings about Mrs Knifton, describing Bessie's point of view, to ensure that the readers automatically
The Monkey's Paw" by W. W. Jacobs, "The Clubfooted Grocer" by Sir Arthur Canon Doyle, "The Red Room" by H. G. Wells and "The Signalman" by Charles Dickens
Analyse how the writers successfully use aspects of the supernatural to create dramatic tension in the short stories you have read. The nineteenth century was an era of general belief in ghosts and spirituality. This is what made gothic stories even more appealing and successful during this era - the fact that they would be seen as being realistic. One major reason for the rise in spirituality during this era was the fact that many people had started to lose their Christian faith (mainly because the Church was unable to give an explanation as to why ghosts existed) and so they started to search for a new way of understanding and accepting death. I think that the Victorian's enjoyed reading horror stories because they offer a challenge - to see whether the reader can figure out who the "ghost" or spectre represents and what they are doing. By involving the reader, the writers were able to keep them interested throughout the story. During the Victorian era, the short story became a very popular genre and ghost stories were well-liked with the readers. It was therefore very important for the authors to build tension and suspense to keep their readers interested. I will be studying: "The Monkey's Paw" by W. W. Jacobs, "The Clubfooted Grocer" by Sir Arthur Canon Doyle, "The Red Room" by H. G. Wells and "The Signalman" by Charles Dickens. In this essay, I will be exploring the ways
Both The Signalman and The Darkness Out There have unexpected endings. Compare the way tension is built up in both stories so that the reader is surprised by how the stories end.
Both The Signalman and The Darkness Out There have unexpected endings. Compare the way tension is built up in both stories so that the reader is surprised by how the stories end. Although the settings and periods are very different, I will show how both of these short stories include similar incidents involving death and how the two authors build up tension through to the unexpected end. Both of these writers are superb at creating, and carrying, tension through the story and I found reading the books a real treat! The writers have written for a distinct audience: one for a Victorian, who were fascinated by the supernatural, and with the train as a new nineteenth century invention they were very frightened in what could happen. Dickens saw this as a perfect opportunity for the setting in the new book. Lively's twentieth century audience had more psychological thought, and were very interested in how people's past could affect them in the future. So, this is what she wrote about, and it was worth doing so, as one of her recent books: "Moon Tiger" was a huge success and picked up an award for best English literature book of that time! When I was looking at the word "suspense," most of the explanations I found were very much related to the two stories I had been studying. It holds your interest, it keeps you wondering, and it has a state of uncertainty. The Signalman and
Examine the ways in which Charles Dickens builds suspense in 'The Signalman'
Examine the ways in which Charles Dickens builds suspense in 'The Signalman' We have been studying and discussing the pre 20th prose 'The Signalman', by Charles Dickens. In true Dickens style, this piece is chilling and mysterious, reminiscent of that of 'A Christmas Carol' and the way that ghosts were portrayed ion that tale. In his lifetime, rail travel was new and becoming popular, so it is no surprise that it was the basis of his story. Also, in Victorian society, death, ghosts and the supernatural were not uncommon subjects of discussions and stories. They had a much darker culture than we do in the modern day world. In this essay, I shall explore the many different ways in which suspense is built up. The story opens with direct speech, in the line, '"Halloa! Below there!"' Immediate speech injects volume and drama, especially when it includes an exclamation. The words incite intrigue and leaves the reader speculating who is shouting and why. My first thoughts are that the speaker is standing above, possibly on a cliff top. The words start a pattern for the rest of a story. Although you don't realise at first, they are very important to the plot. The reader is left wondering why the man to whom the speech is directed does not look up, as expected, but looks down the railway line by which he is standing. The visitor says that the man has 'something remarkable' in the
Looking further into the aspects of Gothic Horror, three short stories, 'The Black Cottage' by Wilkie Collins, 'The Old Nurse's Story', by Elizabeth Gaskell, and 'The Black Veil' by Charles Dickens were written to suit Victorian tastes,
Prose Study Coursework Looking further into the aspects of Gothic Horror, three short stories, `The Black Cottage' by Wilkie Collins, `The Old Nurse's Story', by Elizabeth Gaskell, and `The Black Veil' by Charles Dickens were written to suit Victorian tastes, containing morals that still make readers think about life. The writers make different choices and decisions about the direction of their story. Collins opts for the simplest storyline, as he uses the rising and falling tension to create a simple but effective plot about a young girl trapped in an isolated cottage. Dickens chooses a slightly more complicated plot, where he introduces a mysterious woman who wants help with somebody who is described as being close to death. However Gaskell decides on an altogether more exciting and complicated plot, using full-blown Gothic Horror. The main character is Hester, who is basically trying to save Miss Rosamond from ghosts of the past and their fatality. Both Collins and Gaskell have gone for a similar approach, by using first person narration. Two similar characters, Bessie and Hester, tell of their own history. Although they both tell of their past, Wilkie Collins chooses to go for a more compact telling, whereas Mrs Gaskell chooses to spread the information out over more than a page. Collins immediately captures the reader's interest because the
'Examine the settings which the writers have chosen for their stories in ''The Signalman'', ''The Man with the Twisted Lip'' and ''The Red Room.'' Consider the effects that each writer has created and how they contribute to the atmosphere.'
Victorian Short Stories 'Examine the settings which the writers have chosen for their stories in ''The Signalman'', ''The Man with the Twisted Lip'' and ''The Red Room.'' Consider the effects that each writer has created and how they contribute to the atmosphere.' I have been assigned to study three intriguing stories of mystery and enigma written by the renowned authors: Charles Dickens, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and H.G. Wells. All the stories are Victorian (i.e. were written in the Victorian period) and resonate old, fascinating tales, accompanied by interesting twists. I want to discover the effects that each writer has created in their pieces and how they contribute to and enhance the atmosphere. These are three different stories, all of mystery, trying to keep the reader gripped until the ending. They successfully do so through one main method called 'suspense'. Suspense is created through the twists and unexpected events of each tale, which helps to keep the reader attentive and entertained. ''The Signalman''- this story is a first person narrative where the narrator is unnamed, male and quite open-minded; the fact we know little about him in itself creates suspense. The story opens dramatically through exclaimed speech and evokes suspense along with curiosity. The narrator meets the signalman on the tracks. The signalman believes strongly in the supernatural, and this
In what ways do you believe Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde reflects the interests of Victorian Britain?
Megan Field 10MJO. February 19, 2004 In what ways do you believe that the literature you have reflects the interests of Victorian Britain? Queen Victoria reigned in Britain between 1937-1901. During this time in British history a large degree of change occurred. The writers of the time often reflected these substantial changes in their literature focusing on the interests of society. I have studied a variety of literature from the Victorian period and have chosen to write about three particular pieces; 'The Signalman' by Charles Dickens (a short story), the novel 'Frankenstein' by Mary Shelley and another short story called 'The Tell Tale Heart' by Edgar Allen Poe. At the point when these stories were written, there were a wide range of issues touching society. However, for the benefit of this essay I am only going to focus on three of these; the role of God, the increasing advances in science and technology, the supernatural and insanity. The point which I am going to focus on first is about the role God played in many people's lives and how this is reflected in the literature of the Victorian period. In 'Frankenstein' Mary Shelley's point of view about the advances occurring in the progress of medicine and technology can be seen. She also explains the dangerous issues connected with man trying to copy the role of God. The central characters in 'Frankenstein' are Dr