Creating Horror Through Language in 19th Century Mystery Tales

and the roles of the stereotypical husband and wife are reversed. Mrs White bullies her husband as he refuses to make the wish, shouting at him to "Get it" even as he struggles to comprehend the woman she has become.

Mrs White perceives her request as ordinary and perceives no wrongdoing or unreasonableness in it. Despite the potential repercussions, she does not contemplate them. Although Mr White and the reader recognize the impropriety of her desire, Mrs White remains resolute and impervious to any dissenting opinion. Once Mr White ultimately fulfils her wish, Mrs White feels victorious and departs with eyes that burn with an intensity that implies her unwavering determination bordering on obsession.

As they waited for Herbert to arrive, Mr and Mrs White were filled with tension that Jacobs greatly enhanced by focusing on the sounds in the house. He emphasized the "ticking of the clock", the "scurrying of a mouse" and the "creaking of the stairs", all of which highlighted the deathly silence and increasing anxiety of the Whites. Even when Herbert finally arrived, the writer continued to ratchet up the suspense by portraying the knocks on the door in a dramatic and intense manner. Throughout the tale, Mr and Mrs White have been waiting for their wish to materialize, to witness Herbert rise from the dead and come home.

Mr White descends the stairs to flee from the darkness of his bedroom and attempts to light a candle. However, a faint knock interrupts him and causes immense fear, as he understands what dwells on the other side of the door. In a state of shock, Mr White remains frozen, unable to move or breathe

when his matches fall to the ground. Not long after the initial knock, there is another but much louder, causing Mrs White to hear it and come sprinting down the stairs while screaming.

The point in the story is highly intense and filled with suspense as the reader has an inkling of how horribly disfigured their son will appear, further intensifying the suspense. The loud knocking implies great impatience. The protagonist rushes back to his room, while Mrs. White inquires about the noise. He replies in "shaky tones", stating it's a rat. Although he recognizes that it's not valid, having dealt with Mrs. White's madness earlier in the evening, he strives to cover it up. Notwithstanding, she comprehends that it's Herbert, and runs out hastily while her husband tries but fails to restrain her.

Mr. White is currently experiencing extreme fear as he trembles at the prospect of what lies behind the door and what Mrs. White's reaction might be. In his desperate bid to locate the paw and undo the wish, he becomes hysterical as he wildly gropes on the floor. The sound of additional knocks reverberating throughout the house only adds to the sense of tension.

Despite Mr. White and the reader's awareness of their son Herbert's mutilated and crushed corpse, as White opens the door to welcome him, Mrs. White remains in denial.

The Monkey's Paw by W. W. W Jacobs employs foreshadowing, imagery, and symbolism to delve into the repercussions of tempting fate. Mr. White manages to make the wish just in time, causing Herbert to vanish frantically.

The following narrative to be examined is The Red Room by H. G. Wells. It portrays a frightening

atmosphere through its setting, located in a castle which is considered a typical venue for a ghost story.

The Red Room located in Lorraine castle is a foreboding and enigmatic chamber where strange occurrences have ultimately resulted in fatalities. The chamber is characterized as a vast, somber space with obscure nooks and crannies which contributes to its intimidating and fearsome atmosphere, which is reminiscent of the concealed and shadowy alcoves and recesses. Furthermore, the author employs the phrase "germinating and sprouting" to illustrate the darkness that engulfs the room.

In his story of the Red Room, HG Wells uses a variety of metaphors and adjectives to create an eerie atmosphere. The darkness is described as alive, growing like a germ and sprouting like a plant. The haunted room is compared to an ocean of mystery, vast and unexplored. The small candle the narrator holds is referred to as a little tongue of light. Despite the warnings not to enter the Red Room, the narrator is brave and determined to uncover the mystery of what really happened there. He talks to himself both aloud and in his head, trying to convince himself that ghosts and spirits aren't tangible and therefore cannot harm him.

Initially, he finds the "legends" about people meeting death after entering the Red Room almost amusing. However, his surroundings soon make him extremely paranoid and terrified, causing his hands to tremble so much that he missed the rough matchbox paper twice. Despite being surrounded by darkness, he experiences a sense of fear that suggests the darkness itself is more unnerving than what might be visible. The occurrence of ghostly events after midnight adds to the

already creepy atmosphere associated with "the witching hour," when spirits and ghosts are believed to be more active.

Despite his attempts to convince himself that the extinguishing of one of the seventeen lit candles in the room was due to a harmless draft, the visitor becomes increasingly anxious as one by one they all go out, with his futile attempts to relight them only adding to the tension. The writer's skillful description of this ominous turn of events further heightens the sense of fear for both the protagonist and the reader.

The use of a first person narrator in The Red Room creates a sense of immersion for the reader, allowing them to experience the emotions and events alongside the narrator. H.G. Wells heavily emphasizes the theme of paranoia and its effects on the human psyche while also utilizing descriptive language, including adjectives, metaphors, and similes, to evoke fear and terror in his writing. Another story that explores similar themes is Bram Stoker's The Judges House.

Bram Stoker uses the stormy weather outside to create a sense of horror in The Judges House. As Malcomson, a young scholar searching for a quiet place to study for his examinations, arrives at the house, Stoker emphasizes the power of the gale as it "shakes" the heavy-built house with its "heavy gables and windows". The storm "roars and rages", creating an image in the reader's mind of a ferocious creature attacking the house. Stoker also makes the storm sound unnatural by describing its "strange, unearthly sounds". This adds to the sense of tension, making the reader feel that the situation is not ordinary. Overall, Stoker's use of this effect

builds tension within the story and enhances the horror being portrayed.

The description of the house in this passage leaves the reader with a sense of foreboding and a negative impression, despite not knowing the full story. The recent revelation of a disturbing secret to both Malcomson and the reader heightens the fear, amplified by eerie sounds caused by inclement weather. The once comforting and safe home is now transformed into a chilling and ominous place. The emphasis shifts to the bell rope when the landlady of a nearby inn warns Malcomson about the Judge's House, formerly inhabited by a fearsome judge who struck terror into the hearts of locals.

The woman expresses her reluctance to spend a night in a particular place and even states that she would not pull a large alarm bell herself. This creates the impression that the bell is both significant and sizable due to its location. Despite the lack of information regarding its use and purpose, this arouses curiosity and anticipation. As Malcomson enters the house, the most noticeable object to him is the rope of the significant alarm bell hanging in the corner of the room.

Stoker portrays a mysterious and enormous rat that appears in the room and makes a quick escape by climbing up the bell rope, leaving Malcomson curious about where the rope leads. The description of the rat's "baleful, vindictive eyes" and "angry, white teeth" creates an impression of evilness. Before its appearance, Malcomson hears the scurrying of rats from the roof, which suddenly stops when the rat enters the room. As it returns to the roof, the noise resumes, suggesting that the rat could

be a leader. Malcomson is uneasy about the pliability and strength of the bell rope, realizing that it could potentially hang someone.

The phrase used by Stoker in the story creates various images in the reader's mind and generates a new type of fear. Doctor Thornhill discloses to Malcomson and Mrs Witham that the bell rope is the very same rope that the Judge used to hang his victims, done in a direct and striking manner. The doctor's intention is to forewarn Malcomson of imminent danger and ensure he remembers this crucial information by focusing on the rope, being alert, and keeping his composure. Additionally, this creates a dramatic effect within the narrative, as Mrs Witham's reactions showcase the terror and disbelief that Stoker intended readers to experience.

The Judge's House awaits Malcomson amidst terrible weather conditions, and the bell rope sways to and fro, lifted up and down every now and then, evoking a ghostly reminder of hangings carried out with that very rope. As Malcomson recalls the Doctor's words about the hangman's victims of the Judge's judicial rancor, suspense is created. With a deadly interest, Malcomson picks up the rope and Bram Stoker highlights a connection between the rat and the Judge - their eyes. Since Malcomson discovered the secret, his demise has felt like a countdown.

The suspenseful connection between the rat and the Judge confirms the reader's fears. To create lasting tension, Stoker details the young man's reaction to the Judge's portrait before revealing what Malcomson had seen. Not knowing is more terrifying than knowing, so Stoker keeps the reader in suspense and scared. In describing the painting meticulously, Stoker captures every detail of

the Judge's appearance from his scarlet robes to his ruddy, hooked nose. The Judge's eyes, described as "baleful" and "malignant," reflect the mystery surrounding the rats.

The rat's eyes were always mentioned each time it visited Malcomson, revealing a powerful connection between the two. The description of the rat's/Judge's eyes as "evil, glaring, baleful and malignant" solidifies the Judge's ghastly and evil character. As Malcomson takes in the scene of the room depicted in the painting - the Judge in his armchair and the bell rope in the corner - he realizes that the room he's standing in is identical to the one in the painting. He expects a strange presence behind him but instead finds the horrifying sight of the rat sitting in the Judge's armchair. It becomes clear to Malcomson that the rat is actually the Judge, watching him all this time and deciding his fate in a different form.

It appears that Malcomson may be experiencing some feelings of embarrassment over his intense fear of a rat, possibly due to his hesitancy to acknowledge the reality of a man turned into a rat before his eyes. Regardless, the description of the rat's menacing appearance and its sinister gaze adds to the tension and suspense of the situation. It seems as if Malcomson is completely focused on the creature in front of him, blocking out all sound from the storm outside and other distractions. To summarize my analysis of these three short stories, I must highlight the common elements that contribute to their ability to frighten and horrify readers. These include the use of techniques such as suspense, dramatic impact, vivid language, and

thematic elements such as gothic conventions, the supernatural, madness, and macabre topics.

The Monkey's Paw features a character who nearly loses her sanity, The Red Room revolves around ghosts, and The Judge's House has a murderer as a central character. These stories were written during a time when books served as the primary form of entertainment, thus authors strove to maintain audience loyalty and satisfaction. Today, there are numerous forms of entertainment available, making books less appealing. For instance, whereas horror books were popular in the 19th century, we nowadays prefer horror films. Each story has one or two key elements it primarily focuses on: The Monkey's Paw centers around the titular object, The Red Room dwells on darkness and ghosts, and The Judge's House emphasizes the bell rope.

Repeatedly using a specific object as a symbol of demise can provoke fear in readers, who anticipate its role in the characters' fate without knowing how it will ultimately lead to their downfall.