Ghost Stories :: English Literature

Ghost StoriesGhost stories revolve around lots of Spooky tales that work ondisplacing the readers fear. or so of the main techniques which makethem successful involve Fear, Drama, Danger and Suspense. However,the main idea is that they create tension too. Such stories which usetension to dramatic affect are The Red Room by H.G. Wells andFarthing House by Susan Hill both are written in first personnarrative to result the reader to get scared along with the maincharacter. Both stories also build tension through their Style,Setting, Structure and Language.The Red Room is about a ghost hunter who is a legendary ghost,Farthing House is about a woman who stays with her aunt at aresidential house and feels and sees a womans supernatural presencein her room - both tales have a dramatic twist at the endTension is created through The Red Rooms mountain in many ways -Firstly I can assure you, said that it will take a very tangibleghost to frighten me. This dramatic opening to the tale set s theghost hunter as a Brave, Strong character. The word tangiblesuggests it will take more than than a scary consider to frighten him, yettension is caused because the reader now expects that something willbe frightening him - soon.H.G. Wells builds on this subtle tension and the supposed invincibleman by condition his story to contradict and unease the mansassurances, not only is he in a strange house with a legendary redroom (building ready suspicion by the fact that the room isrenowned, You will show me to this haunted room of yours,) but Wellssurrounds him with grotesque characters too.The three custodians set the story by introducing the reader to theRed Room and through their crusty appearance. If is your ownchoosing, said the man with the withered arm and glanced at me sidelong only four lines into the story and the main character, alongwith the reader already senses that all is not well, mainly becausethe man is deformed - withered and because he is acting oddly i.e.loo king askance. This action suggests the custodian knows somethingwe dont, he appears too shifty.Wells continues to build tension through introducing the second manwho also adds to the scene shambling step, more bent, morewrinkled, more aged, his lower lip half averted, hung pale and pinkfrom his decaying yellow teeth, began to cough. The verbshambling suggests the man may have a limp and the repetition of theword more portrays a disgusting image of the ageing wreck, barelyhuman. The mans manky description backs this up and encourages the