The idea of time is referenced through the use of a watch; this is to give us a sense of how much time has passed, although it may be a symbol saying, as each tick of the watch symbolizes a movement closer to the inevitable death of the old man. “A watch's minute hand moves more quickly than did mine”. As you can see, he compares himself to a watch, suggesting it is he himself who is counting down until the old man’s death, as he is the one in control.
The narrator hears the beating heart of the old man, which he describes as a, "low, dull, quick sound". This was used in order to speed up the pace of the story, by matching our reading-speed with the rhythm of the sound. This creates tension for the reader, as we can feel the story’s pace quickening, therefore being more drawn in to finding out what happens.
On the other hand “The Monkeys Paw” commences with use of pathetic fallacy, “The night was cold and wet, but in the small parlour of Laburnum Villa the blinds were drawn and the fire burned brightly.” The use of negative weather, especially as its set in the dark creates a tensed beginning to the story as people usually associate darkness with evil and danger. This juxtaposing quote is a contrast between the outside of the house, where it is gloomy and tedious, to the inside of the house, where it is happy and comfortable.
Another technique which creates suspense is isolation “…out-of-the-way…” This will create a sense of loneliness and vulnerability, but moreover we start to imagine things which aren’t there thus creating a terrifying atmosphere. Jacobs also uses the technique of withholding information from the reader, “But I warn you of the consequences” This engages the reader into thinking what may happen next, as it usually foreshadows a negative outcome.
As the story unfolds, Jacobs provides hints that, indeed, the Monkey’s paw does posses some strange powers, and that temptation to make three wishes is a grave mistake. We begin to acknowledge more about the Monkey’s Paw, from Mr. White’s facial expressions,” brow cold with sweat” shows us his fear has lead him to the point of sweating proving that he is afraid of the wishes he made. “Caught his breathe” when ordered to find the paw, suggesting to us he was scared and dreaded the moment. The description of the character’s physical actions is very useful, as it depicts the emotions and thoughts of a character to an extent that dialogue cannot. We know that Monkey’s Paw is not something that’s good to use. “Mr. White took the paw from his pocket and eyed it dubiously.” His facial expression helps the reader imagine the situation, and subside to what message his facial expression shows, this helps create suspense and tension as the readers are made to feel the same way the character is feeling.
Furthermore in “The Monkey’s Paw” the use of dialogue plays a major part in bringing tension into the story, due to the fact that we no longer see and feel this story from the outside, but instead we begin to understand how a certain character feels. “Do you think I fear the child I have nursed?” This gives an insight into what Mrs. White feels, and makes us want to pity and sympathies for her. As at this stage of the story the audience is torn between the mother’s grief about avoiding her own son, and the consequences of the having their wish granted.
In the “Tell Tale Heart” we see that the old man senses someone in the room, however when he does realize, he lets out a "groan of mortal terror.” This use of emotive language helps create suspense and tension as the reader is also drawn into the threatening atmosphere expecting something terrible to happen.
After analytically studying “The Monkeys Paw” and “The Tell Tale Heart”, I can conclude that there are numerous ways of presenting suspense and tension such as: rhetorical questions, “ But will you say that I am mad?” which get the reader thinking and usually making them feel apprehensive about what may happen next. Withholding information from the reader, “But I warn you of the consequences,” gives a confessional tone which makes us want to read more, the use of short sentences “I don’t know. I don’t know,” builds up suspense as therefore creates a rapid pace. The constant use of repetition in both stories leaves the reader waiting and entices them further.
In contrast, both of the stories successfully create suspense and tension through the use of various language techniques such as: withholding information, pathetic fallacy, repetition, capital letters, short sentences and many more. In my opinion the most effective technique which creates suspense and tension is the use of repetition, “I’m not mad, I’m not mad.” This makes the audience feel awkward and want to feel sympathetic to the narrator. Moreover, the use of 1st person, gives the audience a feeling of duty and tension as it’s almost as if it is directed at them. Perhaps it could be argued that Edgar Allan Poe creates more suspense in the “The Tell Tale Heart” as he uses language techniques more effectively within the whole of the narrative to create a deeper impact. The reader gradually feels the suspense and tension build up as he reads through the narrative, due to emotive language and hyperboles.
