The Signal-Man and The Monkey's Paw

How do the writers create a sense of suspense?

Fictional text need to be interesting so that the reader likes it.

Many writers use many different things to capture their reader’s

interest. Both Charles Dickens and WW Jacobs, in the Signalman and the

monkeys paw both use different ways to try and keep the interest of

their reader. The Signalman and the Monkey paw, are very similar both

are horror stories set in 0ne location with very few characters. Even

though they seem similar, they are actually told in different styles.

Throughout the story the Signalman, Charles Dickens uses a Varity of

methods to create atmosphere, tension and mystery. The author of this

short story Charles Dickens was motivated to write this story because

of a terrible train wreck at Staple Hurst, Kent, which he was involved

in on 9 June 1865, in which several passengers died but he survived by

luck.

The story “The signalman” starts with the quote "Halloa! Below there"

as the story unfolds this quote becomes very important. At the start

of the story “The signalman”, suspense is created when the narrator

calls out to “the signalman”; the signalman seems to stare at him in

shock. It seems to be weird because the signalman seems to fear the

narrator, or is somehow astonished by his presence. The signalman’s

actions create ambiguity, which is successful to create the overall

suspense.

Both the writers use conflict to create suspense, for

example in the signalman, the narrator and the signalman seem to show

a sense of conflict.

For example the narrator presence, seems to astonish the signalman.

The signalman says” before he stirred I was near enough to him to have

touched him, not even then removing his eyes from mine, he stepped

back one step and lifted his hand” the signalman is implying that he

is uncomfortable with the narrator. Even the narrator notices the

weird behaviour that is displayed by the signalman he says, “You look

at me, I said forcing a smile, as if you dread me”. They do not

understand each other at this moment; the both think that each other

are ghosts. The signalman says, “I was doubtful, he returned, whether

I had seen you before, where? He pointed at the red light he looked at

there? I said”. The signalman was implying that he had seen the

narrator, under the red light that was the same place which he also

said he had seen the ghost. The narrator also believes the signalman

is a ghost he says, “A monstrous thought came into my mind as I

perused the fixed eyes saturnine face, that this was a spirit not a