Britain was changing at this time with invention, innovation and progress. Writing style also evolved in new directions, starting from the then modern but ghostly train tracks to the old setting of a castle incorporated within the gothic literary tradition. ‘The Red Room’ was written in 1894 and is the most recent of the stories, yet it is based in the oldest setting, a castle. H.G Wells used this setting to create a timeless quality, so that the readers and himself could explore ageless nature of fear itself. The lack of reference to location compliments this effect and tells us that this place has been invented for the story. The Red Room features some elements of gothic writing, for example, Loraine Castle, grotesque characters, haunted rooms, ghosts, witches, superstition, previous deaths and curses.
In ‘The Signalman’ the setting is centred mostly around the tunnel. This is where most of the suspense and frightening imagery comes from. Dickens uses many techniques to create an unsettling and discomforting atmosphere, such as the contrast of light and darkness. At the beginning of the story the narrator is “steeped in the glow of an angry sunset”. It distinguishes a distinction between the red sunset at the top of the cutting and the darkness in the trench below. The sunset is personified as “angry” and this introduces a sense of anxiety to the story as it is not a calm and peaceful sunset. Suddenly, there is “a vague vibration in the earth and air” then “a violent pulsation” and an “oncoming rush” and “vapour”. This is the effects of the train and it suggests that it is like an earth-shaking monster. The “vapour” is the train's steam and “violent” hints of a hostile creature, creating a frightening air. 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.
Dickens then applies an element of peril when the narrator looks down upon “a rough zigzag descending path”… “cutting was extremely deep and unusually precipitous.” This is a quotation from the narrator about the descent towards the track, it says that the path was very ruff and hard to navigate. It also shows that the path is extremely dangerous. It could also be interpreted as leaving the natural world above and descending into something else, this all adds to the atmosphere of the setting. On his way down towards the bottom of the railway cutting he says “through clammy stone that became oozier and wetter as I went down.” This is basically saying that as the narrator descended further into the cutting the ground got wetter and less pleasant. To the reader the words give an unpleasant impression of what the descent was like therefore the readers would already not want to be there.
The emphasis on light and dark is shown in the other direction of the railway where there is “a gloomy red light and the gloomier entrance to a black tunnel”. Dickens used an oxymoron in “gloomy red light” – “red” and “light” are usually bright and vibrant colours and to be described as “gloomy” creates an ominous and depressing mood. This is built up in “the gloomier entrance to a black tunnel”. Oppressive imagery is introduced in “a barbarous, depressing and forbidding air”. The fact that the air was being personified in this way is so that Dickens could make a more realistic impact on the reader and that the atmosphere is more frightening and menacing.
The setting of ‘The Man with the Twisted Lip’ would have been the most modern setting to the people reading the book. It would have been the most realistic for those reading the story which would have made it better because the audience could have related to it more. The setting is first mentioned in Doctor Watson’s home at the beginning. “The hour when a man gives his first yawn”, wife doing her “needlework”, leaves his “armchair” and “cheery sitting-room.” This suggests a happy, warm, inviting home. This is significant because it is a complete contrast to the next location. The Victorian domesticity makes this home safe and predictable. The next main setting that Sir Conan Doyle writes about is a description of east London where Doctor Watson is heading: “a vile alley lurking”. The word lurking gives the impression of danger, it makes you think you are being watched.
When Watson is travelling in the cab, the lanterns on a cart “throw out two golden tunnels of yellow light, through the gloom.” This gives the impression of smoky conditions with eerie yellow beams of light being the only penetration of the smog. “An endless succession of sombre and deserted streets.” This gives the impression that an enemy could come from any direction. It also links in with the fact that at the time of this story being written, Jack the Ripper, the notorious killer, was on the loose. This would have affected the mood of the mood of the story because the audience would already be afraid of these streets but this is playing on an already existing fear.
As Watson and Holmes go over a bridge the river is described as a “murky river moving sluggishly.” The river was the main basis of the city with everything backing onto it, because of this it was extremely polluted. Because the audience of this story would have all been middle or first class people they would have been sickened by the sound of thick murky water. Once Doctor Watson had left his cab he was faced with “a steep flight of stairs leading down to a black gap.” This would have been frightening because it plays on mankind’s fear of the unknown. Also there is the association with descending into a place. This gives the impression of descending underground or into hell.
‘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 quotation 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.
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’. “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, “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.
As I have analysed there are comparables and contrasts in the settings which the writers has chosen in 'The Signalman', 'The Man with the Twisted Lip' and 'The Red Room'. They have, undeniably, all used many techniques to ensure that the settings are unearthly, discomforting and disturbing to the reader. Because all three stories were written in the Victorian times, there were either some references to the social events of the time or influences from Gothic literature. In 'The Signalman', Charles Dickens made use of mostly the elements of the supernatural to establish a spooky and ominous atmosphere. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle in 'The Man with the Twisted Lip' made most use of shadows/ flickering candles. Whereas in 'The Red Room' by H.G. Wells, the negative atmosphere is conveyed mostly through description of light and shadows in the room. All three writers have successfully developed tension within the reader through the instilment of fear.
