The Red Room has a gothic, fictitious and literary context. The setting is one common in many gothic stories and this is why the author invented this setting - so he could incorporate all the aspects of Gothic stories, for example, Loraine Castle, grotesque characters, haunted rooms, ghosts, witches, superstition, previous deaths and curses. Also gothic stories are written in a way supposed to terrify the reader and always involves the supernatural.
In ‘The Signalman’ the setting is centred mostly around the tunnel. This is where most of the suspense and frightening imagery comes from. We can see an example of this when an oncoming train is described as “a vague vibration in the earth and air” then “a violent pulsation”, an “oncoming rush” and “vapour”. This suggests the train is an earth-shaking monster with steam like smoke from its mouth. The word ‘violent’ hints that it is hostile. This is a good example of how reality is twisted and distorted in the tunnel. This has the effect of creating suspense and fear for the reader. The description of the setting is desolated and cold. Dickens use language such as, “a crooked prolongation of this great dungeon” this gives the impression of a vast space, which is unknown and dangerous. And ‘this great dungeon’ gives an image of the tunnel being a hell-like place. A reoccurring theme in this story is darkness and a sense of not knowing. For example it says, “A dripping wet wall of jagged stone, excluding all but a strip of sky” this makes the place seem closed in and cut off from the outside world. This gives the reader a fear of what it would be like being alone in such a scary place. Also when Dickens says, “so much cold wind rushed through it [the tunnel] that it struck chill to me, as if I have left the natural world” this adds to a supernatural theme and ‘I have left the natural world’ shows how reality is distorted we get the impression that anything can happen in the tunnel. The tunnel itself adds to a supernatural atmosphere as the reader gets the sense that it is a monstrous creature itself. For example, “He directed a most curious look towards the red light near the tunnel’s mouth, and looked all about it, as if something were missing from it, and then looked at me.” The word ‘mouth’ can make the tunnel seem like a huge monster with a mouth ready to engulf them. This can also add to a fear of something in the tunnel. This creates suspense because the tunnel is so mysterious. It is dark so one would not be able to see what could be lurking in there. Suspense is created because of this and because we get the impression that there is some supernatural creature overseeing the whole story. It could be the tunnel, the trains, a ghost or all three together condemning the signalman to darkness and insanity.
“The Man with the Twisted Lip” by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle is set primarily in the East End of London. It was written and set at the same time that the notorious Jack the Ripper was at large. Throughout the story various places in London are visited with chilling descriptions. For example, “Upper Swandam Lane is a vile alley lurking behind the high wharves” this creates an image of a dangerous place, out of sight and unprotected. The word ‘lurking’ suggests that maybe they are being watched by someone out of sight. And “High wharves” creates a dominating image making the characters seem open and vulnerable. This creates suspense because the reader fears that something bad may happen to the characters. Dr Watson narrates the story; he is not the main character, but an observer who offers his thoughts, feelings and opinions on the main character, Sherlock Holmes. There are very clear contrasts in the story. The main contrast I found was between the different classes of Victorian society. For example the first scene is set in the home of a well off person. The story says, “We heard the door open, a few hurried words, and then quick steps upon the linoleum.” This shows that they have a maid to answer the door and to have linoleum in Victorian times was seen as very classy and only rich people could afford it. The next scene is in a poor area. “Between a slop-shop and a gin-shop, approached by a steep flight of steps leading down to a black gap like the mouth of a cave” The words “black gap” and “mouth of a cave” Creates a dark and scary setting. What is in the darkness? This creates suspense for the reader. The fact a slop-shop and a gin-shop have been written next to each other gives the impression that poor people sell their possessions to buy alcohol. Other settings within the East End create suspense, for example when Watson travels through London descriptions like, “A vile alley,” and “Sombre and deserted streets,” creates suspense through a scary and dark setting. The streets are ‘deserted’ maybe because people do not dare to be out at night. The word ‘sombre’ also suggests that this is not a nice or happy place. The river Thames is also described as polluted and dirty. Everywhere is dirty, dark, deserted and consequently scary. This story is a captivating mystery with a twist at the end.
“The Red Room” by H.G.Wells differs from the other two stories in that it has the invented setting of an old castle. It is a gothic style story told in first person. The author uses short sentences and phrases to convey a feeling of fear and panic, for example, “The door creaked on its hinges”. Words like “creaked” create suspense because it conveys an eerie noise and gives the impression that people are creeping about maybe up to no good. The story uses many odd events to create suspense and a theme of mystery, for example, “I walked down the chilly, echoing passage” The word ‘echoing’ gives a sense of the narrator being all alone and this creates suspense because no one will be able to help him if he is attacked or gets into trouble. And ‘chilly’ gives an uncomfortable setting, associated with death because in traditional gothic stories, ghosts make rooms cold when they enter or pass through. This creates a sense of suspense because we think there may be a ghost who wants to hurt the narrator. Another quote to illustrate the irregularity and strangeness of the castle is, “along the passage…come to a door…a spiral staircase…a landing…another door…long corridor…up the steps” The journey for the narrator is excessively long and complicated. As he continues we get the feeling that he is walking closer and closer to danger and this obviously creates suspense. This also shows how the castle is unusual, with many complicated routes and passages throughout. “The castle and the deep-toned, old-fashioned furniture,” this gives the castle a sense of being old and depressing. Also there is three strange characters, one man with a “withered arm”, an “old woman…swayed from side to side”, another man with “a single crutch” the characters are described as, “bent” “wrinkled” “eyes covered by a shade” and constantly “coughs and splutters” These people are described grotesquely by words such as wrinkled, bent and coughing and sputtering and they seem to be apart of the Castle itself – they fit into the strange, irregular, old atmosphere. This creates suspense because the reader wants to know more about them and about the Castle - What has happened here to create such a vile, grotesque place and people? Also the narrator says “I caught a glimpse of myself abbreviated and broadened to an impossible sturdiness in the queer old mirror” The mirror distorts him so that he looks ill formed like the three strange characters that he talked to. This creates suspense because it suggests that if he were to stay there he may become like them, this creates suspense for the reader because they want to know why this place is so strange. Also it adds to the supernatural gothic theme of the Castle. The word ‘queer’ clearly shows that the place is not right or is in some way strange and unnatural this creates suspense because the reader wants to know what it is that makes this place so supernatural and ‘queer’. Also adjectives such as, ‘withered’ and ‘decaying yellow teeth’ create a scary, spooky atmosphere. “This haunted room of yours”….is “the red room,” The use of the colour red immediately give the reader the image of blood. This creates suspense because it suggests death and murder will follow. The story uses traditional gothic techniques such as, candles going out, a poltergeist and death.
The three stories share some similarities and have some differences. In “The signalman” The tunnel is reached by descent “down in the deep trench” and “cutting was extremely deep and unusually precipitous” There is steep dangerous descent; we get the feeling that we are leaving the natural world far above. This is similar with the opium den in “The man with the twisted lip”, the story says “a steep flight of steps leading down to a black gap like the mouth of a cave” Again we have a descent into a hellish world. But in ‘The red room’ we get the opposite effect, there is spiral stairs leading to the room. This still gives us the impression of leaving the normal world and going somewhere more supernatural but it doesn’t give us the same decent to a hellish dungeon that the other two stories show, but an ascent to a supernatural platform.
A similarity that goes through all the stories is that they are all first person narratives. This means that all the feelings, thoughts and senses of the characters can be conveyed to us. This means that when the story is read it gives the reader a more realistic and scary perception of what happens, they feel like they are there and that they can sense what it would be like to be in those frightening situations. This is a good way of creating suspense because the reader can relate to the characters emotions.
“The signalman” and “The red room” use cold temperature to suggest supernatural presence. The tunnel in ‘the signalman’ is described as cold and in “the red room” the corridors of the castle are cold and damp as the narrator walks thorough. But “The man with the twisted lip” does not use any such cold imagery. This is because it is not a ghost or supernatural story, it’s a detective story. The other two use cold to suggest a supernatural presence or a ghost. But there is no ghost or supernatural being in ‘the man with the twisted lip’ so cold imagery is not used.
All three stories use darkness to create suspense and to scare the reader. In ‘the man with the twisted lip’ the alleys and streets are described as dark and vile. Also the steps leading to the opium den and the den itself are described as dark and ‘gloomy’. ‘The signalman’ also uses lots of dark imagery to describe the tunnel. And in ‘the red room’ the passageways and rooms are all dark and gloomy. All the stories use darkness to convey a feeling of unknown. If you cannot see everything in a room or space, then you don’t know what is there, this creates suspense and frightens the reader because they begin to speculate what evil creature or person may be lurking in the shadows.
