If you look at all these different characters take into account all there different aspects you realise that the writer is creating the scene for both the readers conscious mind and subconscious, for instance he shows the obvious chilling aspects like the man with the withered arm a clear warning that appeals to the reader more than say a normal arm and draws them further into the plot. But he also plays to the reader’s subconscious by for instance when the woman says:
“This night of all nights!”
This continues to play on your subconscious by letting your mind run ragged with the many possibilities and horrors that could be ahead. But of course it introduces the main key factor fear and tension by creating a black spot in the mind to be filled by so many horrific incidents and temptations.
At the start the young man refers to the prospect of other dimensional experiences rather lightly and seems to attempt to shrug off these possibilities:
“It will take a very tangible ghost to frighten me.”
This shows a confidence bordering on arrogance towards the old people and possibly sends out a message maybe even a challenge to any ghost who is there to show them selves and prove him wrong.
But also this shows how clear of thought and calm this man I at the beginning of the night whether this a sort of act for the old people to pretend that he does not care of these ghosts they speak of, or maybe he just is very self assured. Which ever he may be this builds up a sort of first time tension in the storyline between any ghost and himself it builds up the expectancy of the reader and keeps them clinging to the story line.
Of course the old people contribute to the tension of the story, with there verbal insistence of how he should not be so confident and be a bit more open minded. This almost helps to talk to the writer at the same time allowing them to open there conscience. It appeals to the younger writer like when the old woman comments on how he should be not so quick think he has seen everything:
“There’s a many things to see, when ones still eight-and-twenty.”
Although the writer cleverly mentions the existence of ghosts here it does help to create a doubt in even this the most confident of man to create a “black fear” this also is a inkling to the writer that something terrible is going to happen once again building up the tension.
Even the way the man thinks of these old folk contributes to the tension of the red room referring to them as:
“Old custodians”
This give you the feeling of something horrific almost as if these people were not human at all but the guardians of the castle like gargoyles ready to protect the secrets of “the red room”. These could be as old as time it self. This labeling plays with the readers thoughts and opens up new doors in their mind like an ever increasing bubble of tension steadily being blown up until the right pin comes along to burst the dream bubble.
The thing about the word custodian it brings an mage of an old person who has spent there whole waste of a life looking after a place, relic a secret…this adds to the mystery of where they are who were these people. Of course he must have some respect for there experience and what they have seen over all those years they have cared for this place that is why I am sure he would be un nerved when the old people would not accompany him to the red room:
“If you go to the red room tonight-…you go alone”
This would be viewed as a very worrying thing for the man and would surely add toe the fear he would be starting to suffer from even without the mention of ghosts and ghouls this is a very clever trick used by the writer all through the story ensuring the tension and fear does not sky rocket to early but that is rises gradually though out.
The first description of his journey is of a venture through a:
“Long, draughty subterranean passage”
When you think of a long passage it gives the mind insecurity and mystery. This is because when something is long it’s as if no one can hear you scream, subterranean gives the sense of being dark and dank. So maybe this holds secrets?
But then just to give you the feeling that something is happening or someone Is watching him:
“the candle flared and made the shadows cower and quiver”
This personifies the shadows & makes the shadows look as If their scared of something and the use of cower and quiver are very strong descriptive words. This is deliberate to play on the readers mind by once again exaggerating the extent of feeling. This the reader would believe the young man has experienced, but this experience is more than probably but a splash in a pond to building his fear but more like a rock in the ocean to the tension of the reader.
Then all throughout the passage the writer gives every statue & ornament a sort of spiritual presence like a life force watching his every move. For instance when he passes by the china man and it rocked steadily. This seems to be a warning to anyone who passes this point this is there last chance stop now or suffer the circumstance of knowing our secrets like a “custodian”.
All of this helps to build up the readers tension by introducing new senses like the sound of say the rocking ornament or the use of colours and textures when he describes the movement of the “quivering shadows”. This as a whole gives the reader a lot of information to go through and process and it all seems to get jumbled up into one big tense scence.
When he eventually reaches the door H.G Wells continues to describe in a very dark gothic fashion:
“the door…were in a shadowy corner”
This gives the idea of the door being tucked away almost like a dirty little secret someone did not want anyone else to know about. It continues to give the place a dark abyss sort of feeling like a black hole sucking up any life force that discovers this fateful part. But also the darkness gives it suspicion this in-bodies evil just like the grim reaper is dressed in black so has where he treads.
But then with the light the young man has brought with him it almost gives a little piece of flickering hope in this dark abyss:
“I moved my candle from side to side”
This almost helps to remove some of the mischief and mystery which engulfs his mind. But you could also view this as one little bit of good in a darkness of evil battling away against all odds. It is almost like the smoke before the fire almost like a warning of the forthcoming battle to come not a battle such more a fight of the conscious and subconscious ideas. This entire group of effects put together helps to create tension by almost putting in the building blocks of which the tension and fear originate from.
But then once he actually thinks about his predecessor this seems to unnerve him out of his whits. This once astute man his once so clear conscience now turned into a sniffling baby. It’s almost as if the ghost of the predecessor has cropped into his memory and put it on himself to torment the young man to his whit’s end.
This seems to begin the “black fear”.
Whatever happened to his predecessor is very mysterious and shrouded in mystery and contributes to the tension as one of the main key parts it gives the air of expectance almost as if he is next. This helps the writer create the potential for the readers mind to run wild with fantasy. This also gives you a more in-depth reasoning behind why there is so much horror shrouding the room when you think about it this begins to paint a vindictive picture in blood.
This builds up all the tension to a peak as you prepare to enter “The red room”.
So then once he enters the room it is almost as if the fear moves to a new level. He enters the room hastily almost as if he was locking out his fears and horrors with this:
“Opened the door of the red room rather hastily, with my face half turned”
Turning his face suggests to me maybe he is watching his back to make sure someone or something would not creep up on him perhaps. Another analogy perhaps he is deep in thought of the events that have occurred here before and this apprehension is getting to him finally.
Although he does not actually see or hear anything this does not take away from the rush and nervousness of the character almost like a fumbling oath which adds to the tension…if you think about it this is like his last chance saloon survive or die. He can turn back now of course and he would survive or he can shut the door and…
This is as if he is alone now like he is in space and no one can help him no one can hear him scream. But it also signifies the remnants of what clear thought he has left and the bravery of his actions he still knows what he must do…
Of this gives H.G Wells scope to carry on and keep building the tension to a climax, here some characters might have faultered and bailed but not this young confident man the perfect character for the scence. But H.G Wells still manages to leave this underlying dark tension by now the dark seems to be staring back at him like it has all through out his journey.
Also H.G wells also managed to incorporate a lot of things you see in normal horror stories. This gives the whole story a sort of traditional feeling and this almost gives the reader that some horrible deed will be performed or an unmentionable creature will appear. This is what gives the ending tension by playing on all of the most basic human fears and toying with all the senses, It gives you a more whole and three dimensional feel and helps to put the hair back of your neck stand on end. But the most basic of all fears the feeling of darkness it what gives this whole story such a claustrophobic and fear ridden atmosphere.