The state of mind in which Mrs Flower enters the house is somewhat different to the young sceptics’ as he enters the castle. Mrs Flower has a ‘feeling’ that something might happen, which keeps the reader in suspense as to what might or might not happen. In the “Red Room” the young sceptic has an unnerving confidence that nothing will happen, which also creates suspense, as the reader almost certainly knows that something will happen, as it always does in traditional ghost stories. Both the stories create tension at this point but in different ways.
She is also greeted into her house rather differently than the young sceptic. The young sceptic is not greeted but warned by the three custodians, whereas the matron, Mrs Pearson greets Mrs Flower warmly and kindly and shows her to her room:
“ ‘I’ve put you in Cedar, it happens to be free just now…’ she barely hesitated as she spoke. ‘And it’s such a lovely room, I’m sure you’ll like it.’ “
Although the matron seems to be sincere, Mrs Flower can sense oddness and a sense of unease. The line highlighted in bold gives the impression to the reader that Mrs Pearson is nervous as when people are nervous they tend to talk quickly. What does she have to be nervous about? This question would be prominent in the reader’s mind and therefore effectively creates suspense.
She asks her Aunt Addy about the Cedar room and finds her response only contributes t her fear of the room.
“ ‘I’m surprised it’s (the room) vacant.’” – Mrs Flower
“’Well of course, it wasn’t …’ Addy winked at me.”
“ ‘Oh!’ For an instant, that feeling of unease and melancholy passed over me again, like a shadow.”
The fact that the word ‘wasn’t’ was in italics and is followed by ellipsis adds to the dramatic impact of the line, and when Addy winks at her, in the context it is written in makes it seem quite sinister. This is obviously the feeling Mrs Flower gets as she begins to feel uneasy again. She says how she feels like her feeling of unease and melancholy has passed over her ‘like a shadow’, which is a simile. The reader can instantly picture a shadow enveloping them, which is a stereotypical image of big, dark and sinister, the things of nightmares and this causes the tension to be increased.
In “The Red Room” tension begins to increase when the sceptic takes the journey to his sleeping quarters.
After being repetitively warned by the old woman, which increases tension (“tonight of all nights?”), we see the young sceptic beginning to lose some of his cool, calm collectiveness.
“I left the door wide open until the candle was well alight and then I shut them in and walked down the chilly echoing passage.”
The sceptic here obviously does not want to go down the chilly passage, alone in the dark so he waits while his candle gains full light. From here we see his confident exterior slip.
Shadows and flickering candlelight are used throughout the story.
“The long, draughty subterranean passage was chilly and dusty, and my candle flared and made the shadows cower and quiver.”
“Its shadow fell with marvellous distinctness upon the white panelling and gave me the impression of some one crouching to waylay me.”
The constant reference to shadows is effective in building up tension as shadows, especially when they look like a silhouette of a person ie. ‘crouching to waylay me’ they become very frightening, when really they are just distorted versions of the truth created, as in this story, by flickering candlelight. Also, the contrast of a black shadow against white panelling creates a more frightening atmosphere as the shadow is so clear and distinct, something is definitely there. Also, moonlight is referred to, and this instantly increases tension, as everyone knows that moonlight is associated with a ‘full moon’ a night when supernatural things happen or supernatural beings rise from the dead (ie. vampires, werewolves). It is a stereotype related to traditional ghosts stories.
‘Subterranean’ suggests an enclosed darkness, which could be deciphered as a tomb, something related to death.
The way tension and suspense is built up in “Farthing House” is different. Small clues are littered throughout the beginning of the story to create tension as the reader wonders what is going to happen next.
“I noticed the smell of hospital antiseptic”
“Addy wanted some photographs…I went to fetch them…It was very quiet in the hall…So I was quite certain that I heard it, the sound was unmistakable. It was a baby crying. Not a cat, not a dog. What I heard from some distant room on the ground floor was the cry of a newborn baby.”
Susan Hill effectively builds up tension at this point by using short, abrupt sentences, which add to the dramatic impact of what was said. Mrs Flower insists that it was a baby that she heard, and not anything else, which obviously, along with the smell of antiseptic, was a very unusual occurrence in a rest home.
The suspense subsides as Mrs Flower goes to bed and experiences a ‘happy’ dream of her in a hospital room before her daughter was born. However, she wakes with a start to the sounds of a baby crying again. She also sensed that someone else had been in her room during the night.
“How strange, I thought, I wonder why. And then something else happened – or no, not ‘happened’. There just was something else, that is the only way I can describe it.”
This is a very predictable reaction for someone who has experienced something supernatural, or at least think they have – confused, they can’t make sense of it or explain it but they know deep inside, something has happened, almost like a sixth sense.
The young sceptic, as Mrs Flower did in Farthing House, is staying overnight in the Red Room.
As he approaches the room, which is, consequently in a ‘shadowy corner’ he reaches for his revolver. Although this proves that his bravado and arrogance is beginning to slip, he still believes there is nothing supernatural in the room, as it is obvious that a revolver would not be able to protect him from ghosts. Also, the fact that Wells uses chilly passages and spiralling staircases on the journey to the room also creates tension, as the reader associates these attributes to old derelict castles, most often found in ghost stories.
Candlelight is constantly referred to throughout the story, but the seventeen candles he had in the Red Room now become the subject of the dramatic happenings of the night.
“It was after midnight that the candle in the alcove suddenly went out, and the black shadow sprang back to its place there”
The fact that the candle went out after midnight adds more tension to the story, as the ‘midnight hour’ is considered to be the hour of supernatural happenings.
“ ‘By Jove!’ said I aloud; ‘that draught’s a strong one!’ ”
Here we see the sceptic trying to reassure himself by talking aloud to break the silence and blaming the candle being extinguished on a draught.
He goes to relight the candle but notices other candles going out, one after the other.
“The flame vanished, as if the wicks had been suddenly nipped between a finger and thumb, neither glowing or smoking, but black”
The fact that the wick was neither glowing, nor smoking, creates tension and suspense as a candle always does that just after being put out, it doesn’t go black straight away. This plants ideas in the reader’s mind that maybe only something supernatural could have put that candle out, not simply a harmless draught.
As they all begin to go out, one after the other, he tries to relight them, but in vain as it comes to a point where he cannot keep up with the pace and he begins to get hysterical. The way in which the paragraph is written paints the image that the sceptic is fighting against a supernatural force, and this effectively creates tension and suspense for the reader as they wait to see if he wins or loses against the “shadows”
“ ‘What’s up?’ I cried, with a queer high note getting into my voice somehow”
“ ‘I was now almost frantic with horror at the coming darkness, and my self possession deserted me. I leapt panting and dishevelled from candle to candle in a vain struggle against remorseless advance’ ”
The fact that the sceptic was getting hysterical only adds to the tension, as it is obvious to the reader that the sceptic is very scared at this point. The language used in this paragraph also portrays how panicked the sceptic is, as words such as ‘frantic’ and ‘leapt panting’ speed up the pace of events and make them seem more real and frightening, creating tension for the reader. Also the fact that ‘my self possession has deserted me’ shows that the sceptic, at first so doubtful of anything supernatural happening, now has lost all of his confidence and has almost like he has surrendered to this supernatural force. At this point, the story is reaching its climax, and in the flurry of excitement and fear, the sceptic loses his candle, his only source of light.
“The candle fell from my hand. I flung out my arms in a vain effort to thrust that ponderous blackness away from me, and, lifting up my voice, screamed with all my might – once, twice, thrice.”
He obviously does not want to be in darkness as he has worked himself up so much about what really is in the room, that he screams three times. This is significant, as in pre-20th century fiction three is a number associated with the supernatural, for example, the three witches in Macbeth.
The dramatic happenings of the night come to an end as the sceptic knocks himself out.
Mrs Flower experiences a somewhat different experience to the sceptic, but still supernatural.
Since her dream that night, Mrs Flower feels very strange.
“But I felt oppressed again by the most profound melancholy of spirit, the same terrible sadness and sense of loss that had overcome me on my arrival”
This constant reference to the strange, melancholy feeling that Mrs Flower is experiencing convinces the reader that something out of the ordinary is taking place. The antiseptic smell is also explained in a conversation with Addy when Mrs Flower asks what she knows about the house-
“… someone told me that it (Farthing House) had been a military convalescent home during the war”
This conversation proves that Farthing House has had a very interesting past, and Mrs Flower , with this new information thinks about the happening of the previous night. Although the antiseptic smell has been explained, what about the other mysterious happenings?
“What had it been? Or who?”
These questions raise doubt in the reader’s mind, creating suspense, while the ‘what’, because it is written in italics, adds to the tension. When Addy asked why Mrs Flower was interested, she replied-
“Oh nothing, just curious.”
She also avoids Addy’s eye, which gives the impression of someone who is nervous and shifty, which creates tension and suspense as the reader wants to find out exactly what she is feeling so worried about.
Because of the strange goings-on, maybe Mrs Flower’s senses are just a bit more alert than usual, and this shows when picks up tense tone in the matron’s (Mrs Pearson) voice, after she asks Mrs Flower if she has enjoyed her stay-
“ ‘I’ve been extremely comfortable’ ” (Mrs Flower)
Did she relax just visibly, smile a little too eagerly, was there a touch of relief in her voice when she next spoke?”
This question leaves the reader pondering why Mrs Pearson was so relieved about the fact that Mrs Flower had found no problem with her room? At this point, it is obvious to the reader that other people know something about the Cedar Room and Farthing house that Mrs Flower doesn’t and this keeps the reader in suspense as they wait to find out what.
That night, Mrs Flower dreams again, although this time, she actually sees a ghost.
“ ‘As I came to, I know I heard the echo of crying in my ears or in my inner ear…a desperate, woman’s sobbing. The antiseptic smell was faintly there again too. I sat bolt upright. The previous night, I had had the sensation of someone having just been in my room. Now, I saw her.’ ”
She also complains of feeling cold, ‘horribly cold’ and being conscious of the ‘iciness on my hands and face’. Coldness and iciness feelings thought to be felt when a ghost passes through you, and therefore increases the tension for the reader.
She goes on to describe the ghost, which paints an even clearer picture in the reader’s head-
“She was young, with a flowing embroidered gown, high necked and long sleeved.”
The clothing shows that the ghost is from a different era. Also, the ghost is crying and obviously very distress. Mrs Flower feels that sense of ‘melancholy’ come over her again, and she feels inconsolable and helpless. Susan Hill is cleverly linking was has happened in the past at Farthing House to Mrs Flower’s present experiences.
The next day, Mrs Flower gladly leaves the house and while walking down a lane, decides to visit an old graveyard, which at once creates tension in the reader’s mind, as a graveyard is a place where many supernatural things happen. However, the reader knows at this stage, that this particular ghost story is not a dramatic one, so only expects maybe the revelation to the story.
As she is reading the inscriptions on the graves, she notices the inscriptions on two have been ‘mossed over’ but one was clear. This situation is almost taken straight out of a horror movie, as it is of such consequence that one particular name on one particular grave is clear, and it happens to be very important to the story. This type of situation could only happen in a horror/ghost movie, so the reader instantly feels tense as they wait to see what it says.
“Eliza Maria Dolly.
Died January 20 1902. Aged 19 years.
And also her infant daughter.”
While Mrs Flower is thinking about what she has just seen, she bumps into the local vicar, who, noticing her looking at the graves and just having come from farthing House, tells her-
“ ‘It was a home for young women and their illegitimate babies from the turn of the century until the last war. Then a military convalescent home, I believe. It’s a home for the elderly now of course…’ ”
He also explains that many infant children died around the time of birth, and mothers too. Mrs Flower links all the events that have occurred and understands what has happened with the ghost, and the grave. The ghost was purely a mother wanting her baby back, and now that Mrs Flower understands, she no longer feels afraid, and this fact brings a comfortable closure to the story, leaving the reader satisfied that all ‘supernatural’ events have been explained.
The closure to ‘The Red Room’ is altogether different, as Wells leaves an open ending, leaving the reader begging questions.
The young sceptic awakes in daylight, a sharp contrast with the harsh darkness that enveloped the night before. This shows that the fear the sceptic felt last night is over as light represents safety in this story (excessive use of candlelight, etc…). Also, the reader expects to find a closure to the story, and hopes for some revelations as it has ‘come to light’, and because of this the suspense is great at this point.
The sceptic describes what was in the room to the custodians as-
“ ‘there is no ghost there at all; but worse, far worse…’ ”
The reader is now in great anticipation, as the custodians, but when the sceptic rationalises the supernatural happenings as purely fear, and all in his imagination, the reader is left feeling slightly cheated, as that really doesn’t explain how all the candles went out and didn’t leave a smoking wick. This open, mysterious ending, plus the combination of language, style and technique Wells uses in “The Red Room” makes me consider it to be the more successful ghost story.
Wells has written one of the earliest ghost stories in “The Red Room”, and this is one of the reasons why I think it is so effective, as the ghost story is traditional, and sticks to the formula of building up tension gradually to a dramatic climax, and leaving the reader with unanswered questions. The setting of “The Red Room” is fairly stereotypical of ancient and some modern ghost stories. An ancient, derelict castle with echoing, dark and draughty passages is immediately associated with the spiritual and supernatural worlds. Also the fact that the setting is typical of Gothic and Victorian ghost stories, a time when derelict buildings were often inhabited by people who neglected their own welfare and were regarded as morally corrupt, such as Roderick in ‘The Fall of the House of Usher’ by Edgar Allan Poe. The characters of the three custodians fit this bill very well, as through their visual characteristics and the way they talk they do seem morally corrupted people who have neglected to look after the castle as the gloomy, dusty and chilly atmosphere prevails, and the nameless characters also adds to the mystery as we feel like we don’t know them. Also, the use of candlelight flickering, naturally forming shadows and movement creates an eerie atmosphere to that of modern electric lights in a rest home.
Compared to “The Red Room”, “Farthing House” hardly seems the perfect setting for a ghost story, as the reader would associate a modern, clean, newly furnished rest home for the elderly with everyday situations. It is very hard to imagine something supernatural happening in such a familiar and seemingly harmless environment.
The elaborate language used in “The Red Room” makes demands on modern readers.
“There’s a many things to see, when one’s still but eight-and-twenty… A many things to see and sorrow for.”
It is much more difficult to read than the familiar, chatty and conversational language used in “Farthing House”, and because the reader has to concentrate, it generates tension.
“The Red Room” builds up tension throughout the story with the climax at the end. This effectively builds suspense and tension, as the reader will want to read right to the end to find out what happens. Also the fact that the mysterious and supernatural happenings are never actually fully explained leaves the reader’s imagination to run wild and think abut all the possibilities of what was really in that room. Was it fear, as the young sceptic insisted, or something else more sinister?
“Farthing House”, however builds up tension in a different way. Tension is built up in a series of peaks, which then subsides. This isn’t as effective as having the big climax at the end, as in “The Red Room”, in my opinion. Also, the climax at the end of “Farthing House” gradually fades, as we are given an explanation for the haunting, giving the reader a sense of completeness and resolution. In my opinion, I don’t think this would leave as great an impact on the reader than a open ending that asks many questions, as in “The Red Room”. I think “Farthing House is more of a phycoloc=gical ghost story to make you think and create tension and suspense that way, whereas “The Red Room” is a traditional ghost story written to scare people and create tension and suspense in different, more traditional ways (eg. Old language, derelict castle setting etc…)
People love ghost stories, they love the fact that they can feel tense and be kept in suspense by reading ghost stories, because of the idea that there is more to life than meets the eye. Virginia Woolf picked up on this:
“the strange human craving for the pleasure of feeling afraid”
“The Red Room” proves, that even after a hundred years, the traditional formulistic ghost stories are often the most effective in delivering ‘the pleasure of feeling afraid’ that we crave for.
By Vicki Vinton
