Gothic Horror Stories

Unlike The Red Room and The Monkey’s Paw, the setting of “The

Telltale Heart is not significant to building up suspense; however

there are a few elements that do.

How is tension and suspense built up and maintained in at least two

Gothic horror stories?

The genre of Gothic Horror was developed during 19th and early 20th

century and had a popular appeal to the new middle class people who

sought entertainment. Gothic Horror has common characteristics of

suspense, fear and would often include a rational, scientifically

minded character who fails to heed warnings. Gothic horror tales

often have exotic and mythical influences. The night and the

unreassuring lack of light play a big part in adding to the hellish

imagery.

One of the key ways that tension is built up in gothic horror stories

is through the setting. For example, “The Red Room” is set in an old

dark castle. It is quite remote. Tension is built up with the

portrayal of the “long draughty subterranean passage” which eventually

leads to “that large sombre room”; the effect of such a setting is to

give a feeling of impending doom.

Likewise “The Monkey’s Paw” is set in a “beastly, slushy,

out-of-the-way” house; this increases the tension by high lighting the

isolation of the characters within.

The setting of the cold and wet weather is in contrast to the cosy

small parlour, in which “the blinds were drawn and the fire burned

brightly”. The drawn blinds block out dark, wet outdoors and add a

dimension of protection to the setting, which is invaded by the

arrival of the monkey’s paw. This is similar to the old man in “The

Telltale Heart” using “close fastened” shutters to stop robbers coming

in to his room. The irony is that he became a vict...

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environment. The effect of light and darkness has been found to

increase tension by transforming every day objects into sinister

shadows. Hellish imagery is common in the gothic stories. Fire is

used to convey warnings of impending doom as in “The Monkey’s Paw” or

is used as an image of hellfire as in “The Cone”. The colour red also

has demonic associations; it is used to indicate a threat, to increase

the tension with its association with blood and to create a gloomy

atmosphere. The use of irony is another common feature used to

continue the suspense of gothic story, it also foreshadows disaster.

While it is possible to pick out key ways in which tension and

suspense is built up in the five stories analysed above, I found “The

Telltale Heart” the most enjoyable, perhaps because it used fewer

devices associated with this genre than the other stories.