In your study of the nineteenth century mystery stories, what have you learnt about this genre, and what makes an effective story?
The three mystery stories I will be analysing are "The Red Room" by H. G. Wells, "The Signalman" written by Charles Dickens and lastly "The Man with the Twisted Lip" by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Short stories have been internally popular through out history and today. Many masters of short stories wrote during the 19th century and these include the three writers of the three stories I am going to discuss. Conan Doyle in particular was hugely popular and his protagonist character, Sherlock Holmes seems even today, to be real. Another popular type of fiction is the mystery story for very reason they contain mysteries to be solved, interesting and often eccentric protagonists and conclusions which is waited for with bated breath. In the post industrial revolution era mystery stories were particularly popular with an increasingly urban society.
The choice of setting in a mystery story is key to having an effective story. The place in which it is set should be eerie, menacing and spooky, adding to the suspense. There are both similarities and differences in the settings that the writers have chosen for their stories. In "The Red Room" the setting is an archaic castle, this setting is typical of Gothic and Victorian ghost stories. It is made clear that the castle is ancient and old-fashion "the castle and the deep-toned, old-fashioned furniture". The dilapidated building adds to the eerie atmosphere of the story, buildings like this were inhabited by people who were regarded as morally corrupt. This is reflected by the three grotesque and distorted old people who contribute to the setting. They have physical disabilities "One man with a withered arm" these characters give a sense of decay and death thus making the reader uncomfortable. The gloom of the castle is suggested by the cold and poorly lit rooms of the castle. The use of candles create an ominous effect as they only light up some of the castle there fore leaving areas in the dark causing a spooky attribute. The choice of a castle was a setting considered a different time from when it was written, this explores the nature of fear itself. The setting in "The signalman" was the railway, in the 1860s this was seen as a recent invention, so for Dickens to choose this as the setting for his story was a very contemporary touch, many during that era would have been able to relate to the mystery story. The reason Dickens chose this setting was because he was involved in a railway accident this influenced him to write "The Signalman" a year later. He makes constant reference to the steam trains and how they are manually operated giving the sense of historical contexts to today's reader. "A vague vibration in the earth and air" then "a violent pulsation" suggests train is hostile and description of it creates a menacing setting. To combine the ancient supernatural with a modern setting was unexpected for Victorian readers. "The Signalman" and "The Red Room" are similar because the settings that are in the stories are alike. In "The Red Room" the complicated journey to the room "along the passage...come to a door...a spiral staircase...a landing...another door". Also found in "The Signalman" is a complex journey the main character has to make towards the Signalman himself, "A rough zigzag descending path..." The effects these complicated settings have are a sense of anticipation and danger, also it hints at the vast nature of the two settings. The mystery story of "The Man with the Twisted Lip" was written a year before the notorious murders of Jack the Ripper were committed. Conan Doyle's location is a dense network of streets in East London which is the same place frequented by Jack the Ripper, this knowledge for a modern reader would have added to the unnerving theme of the story. For a reader of that time the streets in which the story was held would have still had a danger enticing effect. The setting is a polluted city filled with factories and bursting with signs of the industrial revolution therefore including the Victorian reader. Although not everyone had a positive reaction towards the increasing industry, that's why mystery stories were an escape route. The place it is set is different to the other two stories because a busy city and drug den isn't the first thing many would think of as a scary story. Drugs is what draws the story to an opium den, this setting conveys a grimy, dirty place which adds to the sinister nature of the opium den. Viewed in contemporary day as illegal and bad for our health, drugs in the late 1920s were seen differently because of the lack of medicine available. The setting reflects historical evidence to a modern reader through the factories and pollution. Social conditions and problems at that time are evident through the casual taking of drugs. In general the writer chose to show the period's contemporary events.
The three mystery stories I will be analysing are "The Red Room" by H. G. Wells, "The Signalman" written by Charles Dickens and lastly "The Man with the Twisted Lip" by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Short stories have been internally popular through out history and today. Many masters of short stories wrote during the 19th century and these include the three writers of the three stories I am going to discuss. Conan Doyle in particular was hugely popular and his protagonist character, Sherlock Holmes seems even today, to be real. Another popular type of fiction is the mystery story for very reason they contain mysteries to be solved, interesting and often eccentric protagonists and conclusions which is waited for with bated breath. In the post industrial revolution era mystery stories were particularly popular with an increasingly urban society.
The choice of setting in a mystery story is key to having an effective story. The place in which it is set should be eerie, menacing and spooky, adding to the suspense. There are both similarities and differences in the settings that the writers have chosen for their stories. In "The Red Room" the setting is an archaic castle, this setting is typical of Gothic and Victorian ghost stories. It is made clear that the castle is ancient and old-fashion "the castle and the deep-toned, old-fashioned furniture". The dilapidated building adds to the eerie atmosphere of the story, buildings like this were inhabited by people who were regarded as morally corrupt. This is reflected by the three grotesque and distorted old people who contribute to the setting. They have physical disabilities "One man with a withered arm" these characters give a sense of decay and death thus making the reader uncomfortable. The gloom of the castle is suggested by the cold and poorly lit rooms of the castle. The use of candles create an ominous effect as they only light up some of the castle there fore leaving areas in the dark causing a spooky attribute. The choice of a castle was a setting considered a different time from when it was written, this explores the nature of fear itself. The setting in "The signalman" was the railway, in the 1860s this was seen as a recent invention, so for Dickens to choose this as the setting for his story was a very contemporary touch, many during that era would have been able to relate to the mystery story. The reason Dickens chose this setting was because he was involved in a railway accident this influenced him to write "The Signalman" a year later. He makes constant reference to the steam trains and how they are manually operated giving the sense of historical contexts to today's reader. "A vague vibration in the earth and air" then "a violent pulsation" suggests train is hostile and description of it creates a menacing setting. To combine the ancient supernatural with a modern setting was unexpected for Victorian readers. "The Signalman" and "The Red Room" are similar because the settings that are in the stories are alike. In "The Red Room" the complicated journey to the room "along the passage...come to a door...a spiral staircase...a landing...another door". Also found in "The Signalman" is a complex journey the main character has to make towards the Signalman himself, "A rough zigzag descending path..." The effects these complicated settings have are a sense of anticipation and danger, also it hints at the vast nature of the two settings. The mystery story of "The Man with the Twisted Lip" was written a year before the notorious murders of Jack the Ripper were committed. Conan Doyle's location is a dense network of streets in East London which is the same place frequented by Jack the Ripper, this knowledge for a modern reader would have added to the unnerving theme of the story. For a reader of that time the streets in which the story was held would have still had a danger enticing effect. The setting is a polluted city filled with factories and bursting with signs of the industrial revolution therefore including the Victorian reader. Although not everyone had a positive reaction towards the increasing industry, that's why mystery stories were an escape route. The place it is set is different to the other two stories because a busy city and drug den isn't the first thing many would think of as a scary story. Drugs is what draws the story to an opium den, this setting conveys a grimy, dirty place which adds to the sinister nature of the opium den. Viewed in contemporary day as illegal and bad for our health, drugs in the late 1920s were seen differently because of the lack of medicine available. The setting reflects historical evidence to a modern reader through the factories and pollution. Social conditions and problems at that time are evident through the casual taking of drugs. In general the writer chose to show the period's contemporary events.
