Compare Several Pre-20th Century Stories By Charles Dickens Essay Example

entertains his friends in the garden.

Placing his chair over the grave and his table on the grass, the narrator projects a jumpy and cautious demeanor in 'The Trial For Murder.' This atmosphere is also present when describing Piccadilly Street, with its bright and cheerful streets on a sparkling autumn morning.

This illustrates the appearance of the streets in the morning. Additionally, a similar example is "I was sitting in my chair...."

It should be noted that the chair was wrenched out of its position.

The narrator tries to be truthful without exaggerating, illustrated by the mention of the chair being on castors. In "The Hanged Man's Bride," Dickens establishes the atmosphere by describing the house as both gloomy at night and broad and bright during the day. This suggests a sense of mystery only at night, according to the author.

I found "The Signalman" to be believable based on the tense situation between the titular character and the ghost. The Signalman admits to feeling troubled and scared, but fears that if he shares this with anyone, they will think him mad. This distinguishes "The Signalman" from "Confession Found in a Prison," where the narrator wishes to kill someone. Nonetheless, I also found "Confession Found in a Prison" to be convincing, particularly the part where the boy continuously watches the narrator.

In the text, an example is given of a character observing another with similar traits to their deceased mother. This is seen in the story 'I marked him looking at me', where the character displays distrust of their uncle much like their mother did. Comparatively, 'The Trial for Murder' stands out from the other stories due to its lack of

believability and lengthy introduction, making it difficult to comprehend. However, in 'The Hanged Man's Bride', there is a particular aspect that rings true - the man being appointed as the girl's guardian with intentions to marry her for her inheritance is conveyed through the line 'she was taught to regard him as her future husband'.

Dickens employs similar techniques of suspense in "SM" and "Confession Found in a Prison," as both narrators seek to inherit money. In "SM," when the narrator yells down, the SM looks down the tunnel rather than up, creating an eerie sensation as he seemingly expects a train to talk. The unexplainable events build tension, heightened by the narrator's declaration of being "troubled." This prompts curiosity about what troubles him and whether it relates to his previous odd behaviors. The suspense in "SM" differs from that of "Confession Found in a Prison" because it occurs at night and imbues a different atmosphere.

The sense of anticipation in 'Confession Found in a Prison' arose when 'two blood hounds suddenly leaped over the garden wall,' indicating that the narrator had been discovered by these very dogs. I was struck by Dickens' skillful incorporation of language within the paragraph, as it established a mood and heightened the suspense and anxiety. In 'Hanged Mans Bride,' the suspenseful moment was when an unidentified 'figure among the branches' was visible in the tree.

Dickens creates mysteries in his stories that keep the reader engaged. In "SM," the identity of the signalman is mysterious despite his education in fractions and decimals. In "Trial for Murder," the killing itself is not the only mystery - why was the victim targeted and why

was the locket buried instead of sold? In "Hanged Mans Bride," the unexplained disappearance of the men in black adds intrigue to the story. Dickens crafts these mysteries to maintain reader interest and anticipation until the haunting conclusion.

In this essay, I've analyzed and compared various aspects such as atmosphere, credibility, suspense, and mystery in different stories. Among them, 'Confession Found in a Prison' and 'Hanged Mans Bride' share similarities in that both narrators have committed murder. Similarly, in 'SM' and 'Trial for Murder', both narrators have encountered a ghost.