How are tension and suspense created in The Signalman and...

How are tension and suspense created in The Signalman and The Red Room? My aim is to analyse the way which tension suspense is built up in two Victorian stories – ‘The Red Room’ (by H.G Wells) and ‘The Signalman’ (by Charles Dickens). These two successful authors were both well known for using suspense and tension in their stories. Wells has written many classical books, which include â€Å"The Time Machine† and â€Å"War of the Worlds†. Dickens has written other illustrious books, such as â€Å"Christmas Carol†, â€Å"Great Expectations†, and â€Å"Oliver Twist†. Also in my analysis I will be briefly mentioning â€Å"The Clubfooted Grocer† (by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle), â€Å"The Monkey’s Paw† (by W. Jacobs) and â€Å"The Tell Tale Heart† by (Edgar Allan Poe). All†¦show more content†¦The title itself, ‘The Red Room’, indicates the overall nature of the story. The colour red is a very strong colour and is generally associated with danger or warning. This colour is also largely used in ‘The Signalman’; â€Å"Standing by the red light near the tunnel†. This is trying to give an indication of danger and alertness. It also makes you wonder why the ghost is there and why is it by the red light. It may be to warn the signalman of danger lying ahead. Both these short stories start off at bizarre scenes. The perilous railway and the spooky castle set a sense of mystery straight away at the start. They also begin with direct speech, which attracts the reader’s attention straight from the beginning. When the speech engages the reader, they want to read on and find out more. ‘The Red Room’ begins with; â€Å"I can assure you, that it would take a very tangible ghost to frighten me.† This engages the reader into the situation and the topic and briefly tells them the main theme of the whole story straight away. The author does not directly refer to the characters by their name, which creates a sense of the unknown. â€Å"The man with the withered arm†. Telling the name of the characters would be to revealing, and HG Wells intends to keep the characters mysterious. In â€Å"The Signalman†, an unnamed narrator shouts the words; â€Å"Halloa! Below there!† Again, the use of direct speech engages theShow MoreRelated The Signalman and the Red Room are well known examples of nineteenth692 Words   |  3 PagesThe Signalman and the Red Room are well known examples of nineteenth century ghost stories. Write a critical comparison of these two stories. A critical comparison of The Signalman and the Red Room which are well known examples of nineteenth century ghost stories The Signalman and the Red Room are well known examples of nineteenth century ghost stories. Write a critical comparison of these two stories. The Signalman by Charles Dickens and The Red Room by H.G.Wells are bothRead More The Signalman by Charles Dickens and The Red Room by H.G. Wells3559 Words   |  15 PagesThe Signalman by Charles Dickens and The Red Room by H.G. Wells To be denied of information as a reader is far more powerful than to know the truth. In this assignment I will be looking at the two short stories written in the 1800’s: â€Å"The Red Room† by H.G.Wells where a man goes into an apparently haunted room and although he is warned by other old characters he does not listen and the tension builds up as he goes into the room where fear gets the better of him in a room which might Read MoreThe Language in The Red Room by H G Wells and The Signalman by Charles Dickens597 Words   |  3 PagesThe Language in The Red Room by H G Wells and The Signalman by Charles Dickens Throughout, The Signalman has suspense and the tension is gripping, as the author, Dickens, has used exceedingly good description in the language and the setting is just perfect. Dickens had an advantage when writing this story as there were similarities between himself and some of the characters; since he had been involved in a train accident himself. He creates mystery in this book veryRead MoreHow Writers of 19th Century Stories Create Tension and Suspense1456 Words   |  6 PagesHow Writers of 19th Century Stories Create Tension and Suspense The writers in 19th century stories create tension and suspense through the use of gothic horror. This style of writing is designed to frighten and panic and cause dread and alarm. It innovates our hidden worst fears often in a terrifying, shocking finale, while captivating and entertaining us at the same time in a cathartic experience. Horrors effectively centre on the dark side of life, the forbidden, Read MoreEssay on The Signalman by Charles Dickens3739 Words   |  15 PagesThe Signalman by Charles Dickens Halloa! Below there! †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ A small expression that once understood strikes you with an essence of alarm, fear and intrigue. Throughout the short story of The Signalman, this quote was used several times and was repeated by several characters. Coincidence? Charles Dickens invites you to decide. This dissertation from www.coursework.info For the duration of this half term we have studied numerous short stories from the book Telling Tales. Throughout thisRead MoreThe Use of Language in The Red Room and The Signalman Essay2418 Words   |  10 PagesHow is language used to create atmosphere in The Red Room and The Signalman? In this essay I will be comparing two stories The Signalman and The Red Room, I will be looking at the language techniques and how they are used throughout the stories. All language techniques are used for a reason and in this case it is used to create atmosphere and also keep the readers attention. The stories are both Victorian and remembered for their supernatural content as well as the actual story. The SignalmanRead More The Signalman, by Charles Dickens; The Battler by Ernest Hemingway2784 Words   |  12 PagesThe Signalman, by Charles Dickens; The Battler by Ernest Hemingway - In what way do the two authors create and maintain interest and suspense in their stories? In Charles Dickens The Signalman the story starts by introducing the main character (a railway signalman). Another character is also introduced: the narrator. Dickens describes the signalman as a dark sallow man and as having a dark beard and heavy eyebrows. It seems that Dickens wishes to portray the signalman as a darkRead More The Signalman by Charles Dickens, The Adventure of the Speckled Band by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, and The Yellow Wallpaper by Charlotte Perkins Gilman3758 Words   |  16 PagesThe Signalman by Charles Dickens, The Adventure of the Speckled Band by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, and The Yellow Wallpaper by Charlotte Perkins Gilman People have written short stories for hundreds of years; however it was not until the 19th century that they really became popular. Short stories were the ideal form for writers who wanted to earn some immediate money and reach a wide audience. As more people were given the chance of receiving basic education, literacy rates improved and moreRead More This essay will consider four of this type of story, by short story2235 Words   |  9 PagesThis essay will consider four of this type of story, by short story writers of the period; Dickens’ The Signal Man, The Monkeys Paw’ by W W Jacobs, H G Wells The Red Room and The Dream Woman by Wilkie Collins. LOOKING AT THE ATTUTUDES OF THE PERIOD, EXAMINE HOW A RANGE OF 19TH CENTURY WRITERS CREATE MYSTERY AND SUSPENSE IN THEIR SHORT SHORIES The rise in popularity of magazines in Victorian times and the era’s fascination in the unknown and supernatural led to immense interest in theRead MoreThe Signalman by Charles Dickens and Harry by Rosemary Timperley1831 Words   |  8 PagesThe Signalman by Charles Dickens and Harry by Rosemary Timperley After reading The Signalman by Charles Dickens and Harry by Rosemary Timperley, I have come to the conclusion that I prefer Harry. Both stories, however, are brilliantly written ghost stories with well-created atmospheres and plots that create tension and suspense. The Signalman, by Charles Dickens, is a pre-20th century story which is set in the 1800s. It takes place by a train line and in a