Comparing and contrasting features of 5 short stories Essay Example

breaks it with his aggressive outburst, using negative language such as 'beastly' and 'out-of-the-way' while acting violently. Shortly after, an official-looking Sergeant-Major Morris appears, standing out among the regular citizens.

The characters' mood has undergone a significant change since the arrival of the Sergeant-Major. Previously, the atmosphere was clear and relatively calm; now, everyone in the room seems to be enveloped in suspicion, expectancy, and anxiety. The Sergeant-Major's implied superiority adds to the tension, as he takes a seat near the fire. The reader is left wondering what this influential figure is doing in an ordinary household, and what he may offer. The title, The Monkey's Paw, leads readers to speculate about whether the Sergeant-Major possesses this supposed artifact. Mr. White's mention of his desire to visit India solicits a semi-racist comment from the Sergeant-Major who retorts with "Better where you are," typical of the upper-class citizens of that time. It is at this point that he introduces the Monkey's Paw.

A sense of enigma surrounds the Paw, with Morris seemingly hesitant to discuss it. However, when pressed by the family, he eventually recounts its story in a realistic manner. There is also a hint of fear in Morris regarding the Paw's ability to grant wishes, evident when he becomes visibly shaken and responds quietly to Mr White's inquiry as to why he hasn't used his three wishes yet.

Related to this topic is the game of things, which may provide further context.

During the conversation about the Paw, the Sergeant-major suddenly throws it into the fire to destroy its power.

However, in typical human nature driven by greed and curiosity

towards the unknown, Mr White promptly takes back the mysterious object. This initiates the beginning of a real tale that the White family experiences. The Sergeant gives a final warning to Mr White and the tension reaches its climax for the current scene. However, it quickly dissipates as the friends gather around the table and listen in awe to a second installment of the soldier's escapades in India. Yet, Mr White remains skeptical and dismisses both the story of India and the Paw, expressing his disbelief as soon as the Sergeant departs.

The Paw's significance and what it represents are left ambiguous to the reader due to conflicting opinions. One opinion is from someone with firsthand experience of its power, while the other comes from a fearful man who doesn't believe in magic, but still makes a wish for 200 pounds. When the piano crashes, it startles the reader and convinces the characters that the Paw's power is nonexistent. This tendency may stem from humans' aversion to a greater power than their own, which creates an uncertain fate and potential danger. The father also feels the Paw twitch in his hand, which he describes as twisting like a snake. This animalistic imagery portrays what the Paw did.

Despite initial belief, the characters in "The Paw" quickly begin to doubt the supposed powers of the magical item. This skepticism is fueled by the fact that money does not instantly appear and the son even makes jokes about it. However, the memory of the Paw lingers and the characters still hope for the financial gain it could bring. But as time passes and no money appears, their belief

in its powers dwindles. Meanwhile, a man repeatedly peers into their home, creating a new mystery that eventually leads to his apology and entrance into the house.

The man is impeccably dressed and exudes authority. When he reveals that he is from Maw and Meggins – the company where their son was employed – a tense conversation ensues among the three. The tension continues to build as the mother remains oblivious to her son's fate until the very end. This adds a whole new dimension to the story, leaving readers questioning whether the wish for 200 pounds had anything to do with it. Despite accepting no responsibility, the representative offers the family 200 pounds for their son's work for the company. The announcement shocks the mother, who shrieks, and leaves the father fainting. The tension dissolves but leaves behind an unsettling feeling about the power of the Paw. The characters have newfound fear of its consequences, as described by the Sergeant-Major.

The characters in the story are feeling tense and angry towards each other, especially when the mother wants to use the Paw again to bring her son back. This suggestion immediately shakes and angers the father, who reminds her of the terrible outcome from their previous attempt. He tells her to go back to bed, saying, 'You don't know what you are saying.' However, the old woman insists on wishing for their son's return, despite her husband's objections. After the mother fiercely demands it, the wish is granted, but this only creates more tension and uncertainty. The story ends with the wish not being granted and an air of uncertainty as they go to bed.

The question

of whether the Paw truly possesses its rumored power is left lingering in the reader's mind. The author maintains tension by portraying the characters lying awake in bed, listening to ominous sounds and feeling overwhelmed by darkness. The father descends to light a candle, but his match fizzles out just before a knock on the door startles them all. This occurrence may have been symbolic of what was yet to come. The knock is barely audible, leaving both characters and readers fearful of what lies beyond the door. The character races upstairs in an effort to beat his wife to the door and prevent her from opening it. This struggle reveals the father as a fearful character, afraid of the Paw's potential power, his own son, and his wife's optimism, while his wife remains hopeful for their son's return but dismissive of any negative effects from the Paw.

The concluding wish of the father remains undisclosed to allow the story and subplot to reach a definite endpoint, symbolized by the door opening into emptiness. The subplot carries a valuable message for humanity: that righteousness should never yield to base human instincts, particularly greed, which inevitably leads to insatiable cravings and deleterious consequences for oneself and others. (The Red Room by H.G.)

Wells is a story with a lesson embedded in its subplot, presented in a unique way through the narrator as the main character. The tale features a young man who decides to stay in a room believed to be haunted, located in a home inhabited by three elderly residents who are terrified of the ghost's purported terror. Despite repeated warnings from the aged dwellers, the protagonist

dismisses the existence of spirits. The unsettling atmosphere of the story is immediately established in the introduction of the first character, described as having a withered arm and declaring, 'it is at your own choosing,' indicating scepticism of the protagonist's intent. However, unmoved by this interaction, the protagonist ventures forth to his supposed 'haunted' room. The tension is amplified when the old woman utters, 'this night of all nights,' seemingly implying that there is a link between this night and the ghostly presence. Unperturbed, our hero continues on their quest, even as the old woman's previous outburst is repeated.

When the character leaves the room, there is a palpable tension in the air. This is not only due to what the others are saying, but also their intense gazes and the eerie room they are in. As he bids the group goodnight and departs, he leaves behind a flurry of unanswered questions and an anticipation that resonates with both him and the reader. Despite his attempts to maintain a matter-of-fact attitude, he admits to being affected by the pensioners, once he is out of the room. He tries to convince himself that their beliefs are from a different time, but paradoxically builds up more tension as he reflects on his doubts. The author skillfully describes the surroundings to paint a vivid picture of what the character is experiencing and as he walks down the hallway, fear suddenly grips him in the form of a statue that he initially mistakes for a "crouching" figure waiting to ambush him.

The existence of spirits in the story is left uncertain, creating doubt in the reader's mind. Despite this, the

tension is momentarily relieved when a potential scare is glossed over. However, anxiety returns as the character approaches the room's door, where he becomes nervous, checking over his shoulder to ensure his safety in the darkness. This reassurance-seeking behavior continues as it is revealed that the room is where a young duke had died, adding further mystery to the potential presence of spirits.

Opening the curtains and lighting candles eases the tense atmosphere created in the story. Light represents safety, both in the story and in everyday life, which makes the reader feel at ease. The change in writing style reflects this feeling of safety as things that were previously threatening, like the fire and statue, now provide comfort. However, the character still clings to his revolver for a sense of security, akin to a child's safety blanket. The character's recitation of rhymes by Ingoldsby, a popular poet of the time, reflects the story's era.

As time passes, the character becomes increasingly nervous for no apparent reason. This may be due to the fact that the room is already intimidating with its "sombre reds and blacks," associated with death and blood, even without the presence of a ghost. The use of light helps to alleviate tension as more candles are lit, but paradoxically, the character becomes even more afraid when they begin to go out. Initially, one candle goes out due to a strong draft, which is dramatized by the character. However, as he lights the extinguished candle, two more go out, and this pattern continues. The character becomes terrified that the ghost does exist and loses any previous skepticism. The way the candles are extinguished

is personified by the character as if they have been "abruptly pinched between a finger and thumb." This only adds to his fear and causes him to become half-hysterical.

Despite his best efforts to relight the candles, the man fails to bring back the safety of light and is overwhelmed by fear and anxiety. He appears irrational, stumbling around the furniture in a panic and unable to think clearly. Although it would seem obvious to the reader, he doesn't realize for some time that using a lit candle would be faster to light others. Eventually, he finds himself surrounded by complete darkness and becomes even more hysterical, desperately searching for an exit to escape the terrifying room. In his panic, he continually falls and screams in fear.

After a frantic effort to keep his footing, the character falls for the final time and loses consciousness. Strangely, this relieves tension as both the reader and character are free from fear. In the following paragraph, the character awakens to daylight with a bandaged head, indicating safety. The old man with a withered arm who refused to enter the room is no longer a threat. The character has a slightly delirious conversation with the old people, who insist that he believe the room is haunted.

In a surprising turn, the protagonist of the subplot agrees with their belief that it is haunted. However, their assumption of a supernatural presence such as the countess or duke is incorrect. Rather, it is explained that fear is the driving force behind the strange occurrences. The people's fear causes these events to occur. Fear is even described as a dark power, demonstrated by the

candles that go out without lighting anything. The Murders in the Rue Morgue presents a distinct problem and language style unlike the subplot.

The previous stories were easy to read despite their age, but this writing is typical of upper-class narrative. The author uses words that could be replaced with more common phrases but does not due to vanity. Additionally, there are foreign phrases, especially in French, which were understood by the upper class in the 19th century but may not be by modern readers or lower classes of the time. This is because many people were uneducated and the writer aimed only at his social equals. The story also includes Christian references such as "the best player in Christendom." It compares normal life to the card-player using how players look ahead and make decisions based on others' reactions to their cards to gauge chances of success. The story's introduction describes the narrator's residence in Paris and frequently uses French phrases. It ends with the narrator announcing what is to happen next.

A new character is presented as the archetypal representative of the French upper class. Monsieur C. Auguste Dupin is his name, and the lack of any mention of his first name, only the initial "C.", seems to indicate his wealth or social status. Their initial encounter occurs in a library, a place of education associated with importance and authority.

Describing their daily routine as gay - in the old definition of the word - the upper-class English man and his French counterpart engage in numerous intellectual conversations throughout the day. As night falls, they venture out onto the Parisian streets, arm in

arm, to continue their discussions. Their calm atmosphere is unthreatening until they encounter a small man, whom Dupin deems suitable for the Theatre des Varietes, and the narrator vainly reflects on his own appearance. These characters are depicted as highly intelligent, wealthy, and self-aware. As their conversation progresses, Dupin's recollection of a fruiterer deliberately knocking him down creates tension and unease, especially since he can recall minute details like the exact position of the narrator's eyes.

Later on, the paper reveals that murders have taken place in the house located on Rue Morgue. The description provided by the paper is very detailed and vivid, enabling the readers to visualize the event and come up with their own interpretations. Although the story of the murder continues, there is no indication of who committed the crime as the paper only expresses sentiments of fondness towards the two victims.