How Does Hg Wells Create Suspense In The Red Room

H.G. Wells wrote The Red Room in 1894. It is about a confident, arrogant, 28 year old man, that wants to stay the night in a haunted room in an old castle. H.G. Wells uses descriptive language to build suspense and convey fear. In the first line of the story "I can assure you, it will take a very tangible ghost to frighten me", Wells grabs the readers attention and shows how arrogant the protagonist is. He uses the conversations between the protagonist and the elderly people to set the tone of the story, giving the reader a sense of mystery and suspense.

The old man with the withered arm repeats the same line throughout the first couple pages, "It is your own choosing", letting the young man know that what ever happens to him in the room is his own fault. The repetition of the old man adds suspense for the reader, giving the reader the idea that something bad will happen. The old woman says "This night of all nights", giving the reader an eerie feeling that that night is more sinister than others. Yet, it seems the protagonist is intent on proving them wrong, this pushes the reader to want to find out what is going to happen.

Wells' descriptions of the old people also adds mystery and fear.

He describes them as being "withered", "pale", and "decaying" almost as if they could be ghosts themselves. Their behaviors, such as starring into the fire, and short responses to the young man's questions adds suspense. Even the description of the castle sets a tone of horror, "fashions born from dead brains" and "the ornaments and conveniences in the room were ghostly." Everything being in black shadows because of the moon light and the absolute silence, leads the reader to believe something bad is going to

happen.

H.G. Wells uses shadows and darkness as a way to create a fearful, eerie setting in the readers mind. After the protagonist makes his way to the red room, the reader begins to sense he is starting to become uncertain and not so brave. He lights the fire to try and get rid of the darkness, but this creates eerie shadows on the wall, so he lights candles all over the room. When the candles begin going out, he starts losing all reason and even begins questioning himself, "Did I do that myself in a flash of absent mindedness." As the shadows grow so does his fear. In the complete darkness of the room his fear and terror take over and he gets knocked out running into the furniture, trying to find the door.

In the end the protagonist wakes to find it's daylight and the old people had bandaged his wounds. While explaining to them what had happened, he reveals there wasn't any ghosts, it was the fear in his own head that took over. The old man agreed saying "I knew that was it. A Power of Darkness." H.G. Wells took a confident, young man and proved that the fear can take over anyone. Wells conveyed fear, suspense, and mystery by using descriptive language, shadows and darkness.