The Red Room by HG Wells Essay Example For Students

The Red Room by HG Wells Essay My essay will be about how Wells can create and sustain horror in his story The Red Room. I will be paying close attention to how he makes the reader feel, by looking at the language and techniques he uses. The story is a Victorian gothic horror/ghost story written in the year 1896. The first line in this story is straight to the point and already shows you what the main character is like. It shows off his confident and maybe even pompous attitude. Right from the start of the story fear is already being created. Much of it is done through traditional horror story techniques such as using an old castle and long draughty subterranean passageways. The story the guardians tell the young man adds fear because then everyone expects something to happen apart from the confident, self assured young man. There is already suspense being built up too as the reader waits to see if the legend of the Red Room will come true. We will write a custom essay on The Red Room by HG Wells specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now Wells creates fear from his characters too. The grotesque guardians are not the type you would use in a love story, but of course they fit in perfectly with the traditional ghost story. They are deformed and seem senile. The man with the withered arm and the old woman make you feel quite uneasy with their repetition of strange sentences This night of all nights and It is your own choosing. These are the first signs of repetition in the story. They dont give anything away, which is making the reader curious to what they mean. The last person you meet is the decaying old man. I say decaying as the way he is described makes him sound almost dead. His lower lip, half averted, hung pale and pink, bent and more wrinkled than the others. Wells makes it evident that they are quite frightening people as they make even the confident young man feel uncomfortable. Although Wells is using contrast between the narrator and the guardians of the house to build drama, I feel that they do have something in common. When the young man leaves the room, he tells of the image of them all huddled round the fire. When he described the old woman she was constantly staring into the fire. I feel this may be a link between them and the young man, or even the Red Room. When all hope is given up in the Red Room, the confident young man turns to the fire for reassurance; this may be what they are doing. I think that the journey to the Red Room has a big part to play in the horror story. Little twinges here and there build up a sense of horror. The constant reference to shadows, hints hugely to the main part of the story, the shadows cower and quiver, vivid black shadow and its shadow fell with marvellous distinction. As he walks up to the Red Room he explains that its in a shadowy corner. He also uses personification a lot. This also has a lot to do with the main point of the story when we find out that, it was not a person or ghost, but fear that caused the incidents in the Red Room. He explains how echos fled before him and shadows (again) came sweeping up after him. He also mistakes a shadow to be a person crouching to waylay him. This is showing that darkness is a lot more frightening than being able to see and know what is there. He is still building up the sense of horror little by little. .ue2cb9f1b4eb026cf78de3d2b3c697401 , .ue2cb9f1b4eb026cf78de3d2b3c697401 .postImageUrl , .ue2cb9f1b4eb026cf78de3d2b3c697401 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .ue2cb9f1b4eb026cf78de3d2b3c697401 , .ue2cb9f1b4eb026cf78de3d2b3c697401:hover , .ue2cb9f1b4eb026cf78de3d2b3c697401:visited , .ue2cb9f1b4eb026cf78de3d2b3c697401:active { border:0!important; } .ue2cb9f1b4eb026cf78de3d2b3c697401 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .ue2cb9f1b4eb026cf78de3d2b3c697401 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .ue2cb9f1b4eb026cf78de3d2b3c697401:active , .ue2cb9f1b4eb026cf78de3d2b3c697401:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .ue2cb9f1b4eb026cf78de3d2b3c697401 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .ue2cb9f1b4eb026cf78de3d2b3c697401 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .ue2cb9f1b4eb026cf78de3d2b3c697401 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .ue2cb9f1b4eb026cf78de3d2b3c697401 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .ue2cb9f1b4eb026cf78de3d2b3c697401:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .ue2cb9f1b4eb026cf78de3d2b3c697401 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .ue2cb9f1b4eb026cf78de3d2b3c697401 .ue2cb9f1b4eb026cf78de3d2b3c697401-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .ue2cb9f1b4eb026cf78de3d2b3c697401:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Amy Lowell's Patterns EssayWells is starting to show you that the horror is only starting to begin. This once brave young man is starting to slip up. When people are scared their imaginations do start to run wild with misconceptions of the slightest things. The young man seems to describe everything with a twist of horror to it. Although of course, Wells wants us to see that this castle is a spooky place so he can keep us on our toes while reading. Once in the room he carries on expressing his fears for darkness, he speaks of legends that had sprouted in its black corners and of its germinating darkness. He uses metaphors and explains how he feels small and how his candle was only a little tongue of light in its vastness. Wells is starting to create mystery in the room by making the young man speak of the room being like an ocean of mystery and beyond his circle of light lays suggestion. To cure all this, he goes through a very thorough examination of the room. For this brief time the reader is not being built up, I neither feel he is building tension. I feel for this small while its almost a breather for the reader while the young man potters about checking everything. Of course once hes finished the reader is then being brought up again to suspect something, as the young man describes that even after his examination, he felt no comfort from the room. While the young man tries out different ways to calm himself down, finally relighting more candles. I think the reader already is starting to think if anything will happen with the candles. They are so unreliable and dangerous, even though the young man describes them as cheery and reassuring; we are still suspecting something to happen. When the first candle goes out, the reader is glued as H.G Wells starts to build the horror. One goes out, then two more, this is more than a coincidence, and we feel the fright of the young man as he rose at once which adds more urgency to the situation. When the young man can no longer comfort himself, his actions add to the horror of what is happening. His voice reaches a high note, he stands gaping and he starts scratching away at his matches franticly to keep back the shadows that are slowly closing in on him. The horror we are starting to feel is the fear of the unknown. The young man cannot see where there is darkness, so he does not know what could be there. The light is the only weapon he has against it, and we know this. The horror is being sustained as we see the man still trying to fight back the shadows with his matches. When we think he is gaining on the extinctions we feel slightly calmer, but soon after we see all that happens is just more go out at once. But yet the horror is still not at its peak, the young man is still slightly in control of his actions. The sentences are shorter now, to show the haste of the situation. The reader feel the horror in the room as the young man describes how the shadows crept in upon him and he uses similes, it was like a ragged storm cloud. The young man soon is clearly afraid frantic with horror; his self-control is almost non-existent as he stumbled and fell and looses his only weapon, the candle. Wells keeps showing signs of hope throughout the story, but quickly takes them away and replaces it with even more horror. The last straw is when we think the young man will be ok as the fire was still dancing. But no, the flames dwindle and vanish and the man is left in complete darkness, wrapped round him it sealed his vision and crushed the last vestiges of reason from his brain. This is the part where the reader just holds their breath. The reader believes there can be no hope left. But no, Wells gives us a small bit of hope once more, and as the young man makes his way to the door, something happens, but we dont know what. Probably the most horrifying thing that can happen, is not knowing what happens. Not being able to see what is happening or know what is with you. .uf3932521452f6ec1219e23bac5cd2b07 , .uf3932521452f6ec1219e23bac5cd2b07 .postImageUrl , .uf3932521452f6ec1219e23bac5cd2b07 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .uf3932521452f6ec1219e23bac5cd2b07 , .uf3932521452f6ec1219e23bac5cd2b07:hover , .uf3932521452f6ec1219e23bac5cd2b07:visited , .uf3932521452f6ec1219e23bac5cd2b07:active { border:0!important; } .uf3932521452f6ec1219e23bac5cd2b07 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .uf3932521452f6ec1219e23bac5cd2b07 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .uf3932521452f6ec1219e23bac5cd2b07:active , .uf3932521452f6ec1219e23bac5cd2b07:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .uf3932521452f6ec1219e23bac5cd2b07 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .uf3932521452f6ec1219e23bac5cd2b07 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .uf3932521452f6ec1219e23bac5cd2b07 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .uf3932521452f6ec1219e23bac5cd2b07 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .uf3932521452f6ec1219e23bac5cd2b07:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .uf3932521452f6ec1219e23bac5cd2b07 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .uf3932521452f6ec1219e23bac5cd2b07 .uf3932521452f6ec1219e23bac5cd2b07-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .uf3932521452f6ec1219e23bac5cd2b07:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Emigrant ship EssayThis is why I really enjoy the ending, it is still a mystery. The description of the fear is good, as it makes the reader think. I feel every reader would agree that fear is worst of all the things that haunt poor mortal men. But even though this is explained to us, we still do not know the reason for the candles going out surely our fear could not have so much power that it could extinguish a candle. I feel there is more to that room, more than what meets the eye in the story. The Red Room by HG Wells Essay Example For Students The Red Room by HG Wells Essay This story begins in a fire lit room in an extremely old building. In the opening line it tells us mainly what the story is about. It tells of three people, one young man who is standing by the fire and two old people who are sat in chairs. The man by the fire seems to be sceptical of the existence of ghosts. Where as the other two are extreme believers. After much discussion the young man says goodnight and travels to the Red Room. He begins to light Candles and a fire. After sitting down something strange begins to happen in the room. The candles start blowing themselves out. Eventually after much trying to relight the candles and fire the man finds himself in total darkness. He panics and runs for the door and crashes with the side of the bed he then is struck more times and is then struck to the head he then falls and wakes up at dawn with a bandage around his head. We will write a custom essay on The Red Room by HG Wells specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now He tells the people who live in the house of his experience and how it is not a ghost who haunts that room but fear. The story is written in pre 1896, this is when all superstitions were still believed to be true. The Gothic horror genre is a literary genre that belongs to Romanticism. Prominent features of gothic novels included terror, mystery, the supernatural, ghosts, haunted buildings, castles, trapdoors, doom, death, decay, madness, hereditary curses, and so on. This genre can be seen in the story in many places. The discusion of ghosts and death are every were in this book. Also the whole story is about a haunted room. The story is set in very little light and in some places complete darkness this adds the the suspense and the feeling of dread and mystery which again is another feature of a gothic horror story. My main focus is how the writer creates tention and suspense he does this with use of the title the Red Room this gives us the image of blood which in turn can be seen as death. Another promante feature he uses to create tension is the eviroment the book is set in, he uses old castles, dark rooms and long corridoors to give the feeling of suspense dread and the unkown and as mentioned before in the text the Red Room in it self can be perceived as a place fillled with death this can been seen when he writes The effect was scarcely what I had expected for the moonlight comeing in by the great window on the grand staircase picked out everything in a vivid black shadow, also he says The long, draughty, subterranean passage was chilly and dusty the temperature decrease affects the reader in a subconscious way. Aswell as this the writer gives the shadows human qualitys this gives them and ery felling this can be seen here and my candle flared and made the shadows cower and quiver. The echoes rang up and down the spiral staircase, and a shadow came sweeping up after me, and one fled before me into the darkness overhead. The writer also uses colour very well in this story he uses dark derpressing colours associated with death, black is used at funerals it also gives us the feeling of the unkown. Red is the colour of blood which can be seen as death also and danger. The writers use of minor characters adds depth to the story and the use of some of the physical descriptions adds suspense. The use of the central character adds to the tension and suspense by not believing. With him not believing and all these things happening its adds the the shock factor. Another key factor is how the main character behaves throughout the story. He begins not believing in ghosts this can be seen when he says Well, I said, if I see anything tonight, I shall be so much the wiser. .u8d2eaace40004e03163586968bd706ca , .u8d2eaace40004e03163586968bd706ca .postImageUrl , .u8d2eaace40004e03163586968bd706ca .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u8d2eaace40004e03163586968bd706ca , .u8d2eaace40004e03163586968bd706ca:hover , .u8d2eaace40004e03163586968bd706ca:visited , .u8d2eaace40004e03163586968bd706ca:active { border:0!important; } .u8d2eaace40004e03163586968bd706ca .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u8d2eaace40004e03163586968bd706ca { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u8d2eaace40004e03163586968bd706ca:active , .u8d2eaace40004e03163586968bd706ca:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u8d2eaace40004e03163586968bd706ca .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u8d2eaace40004e03163586968bd706ca .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u8d2eaace40004e03163586968bd706ca .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u8d2eaace40004e03163586968bd706ca .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u8d2eaace40004e03163586968bd706ca:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u8d2eaace40004e03163586968bd706ca .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u8d2eaace40004e03163586968bd706ca .u8d2eaace40004e03163586968bd706ca-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u8d2eaace40004e03163586968bd706ca:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Salem Meets Dennis the Menace EssayFor I come to the business with an open mind he also says That it will take a very tangible ghost to frighten me, as he progresses along the corridor in the next paragraph he begins to feel uneasy this can be seen in when he begins to think this I was about to advance, and stopped abruptly. A bronze group stood upon the landing, hidden from me by the corner of the wall, but its shadow fell with marvellous distinctness upon the white paneling, and gave me the impression of someone crouching to waylay me. I stood rigid for half a minute perhaps. Then, with my hand in the pocket that held my revolver its obvious that his brain is beginning to create things. Finally after the experience in the red room he is a true believer this can be seen when the man says You believe now, said the old man, that the room is haunted? He spoke no longer as one who greets an intruder, but as one who grieves for a broken friend. And the main character replies with Yes, said I; the room is haunted. The writer adds tension in the dialogue by never actually telling us if he the ghost exists. This puts us under the opninon that something bad is happening but we are not quite sure what is causing the candles to be blown out. Also the main characters begins this whole experience sceptical but finishes believing although he can be seen beginning to belive early on this is seen hereaffected me in spite of my efforts to keep myself at a matter-of-fact phase. This gives the reader the impression that he really was scared and that the ghost really exists. Also he ends the story with the question in the readers mind unanswered this gives us the final impression that this story could be true. Also we never truly find out what the ghost or evil is there are a few suggestions but its never really answered. The atmosphere helps maintain suspense and tension by using the gothic horror genre. It use the long dark corridors, the candle lit rooms, the creaking floorboards and of cause this whole idea of the one haunted room. The writer uses death imagery to help maintain the tension this all relates back to the gothic horror genre. The long corridors the dark rooms and the shadows all portray a very scary atmosphere. The repeated warnings towards this ghost is another negative feeling the reader gets. The continued warning from the owners to the main character always fall on deaf ears this cause the reader to want to warn the main character them self which puts them in the story which inturn ads to the tension. As I said in part two the whole story is set in candle light and it many parts total darkness. The fear of the dark is one of mans biggest primal fears this is turn ads tension to the story. Over all red room is a very well written story the way the writer creates tension is excellent. He uses the gothic horror genre very well and the light ascent as well, also the very main character helps build tension as does the three house keepers. My overall opnion of the story is very good I enjoyed it very much and like how the writer wrote it.