Comparison of The Red Room and Farthing House Ghost Stories Essay Example

hesitation. However, as the story unfolds, his beliefs undergo a change. While witnessing the events in the room, he attempts to explain them logically but eventually realizes that logic alone cannot explain these happenings. He is compelled to consider that other forces may be involved. Nevertheless, he decides not to reveal this realization to the other characters. It is important to mention that "Farthing House" takes place in the mid-Twentieth Century.

The text is in the form of a letter from the protagonist to her children, presumably meant to be read after she passes away. The author expresses remorse for a choice she made in the past: rather than personally caring for her aunt, she opted to send her to a facility for care. She justified this decision with various excuses, but deep down, her conscience troubled her. The narrative brings attention to the enduring societal stigma faced by unmarried women who have children.

The Vicar remarked that the situation for illegitimate children had improved since the construction of the house. Susan Hill, who had experienced numerous miscarriages in her lifetime, may have been preoccupied with childbirth when she wrote this story. She could relate to the character who desperately sought her lost child. The Red Room and Farthing House have distinct ways of starting their narratives. The former has a more traditional beginning, while the latter takes the form of a letter. These stories diverge not only in their beginnings but also in their writing style as they progress.

The structure, language, and plot of "The Red Room" are all quite distinct. The story begins with a powerful statement from the narrator, who is portrayed as male:

"It will take a very tangible ghost to frighten me." This line serves as a turning point, revealing the narrator's cocky and overconfident nature, as well as his skepticism rooted in science. Despite the narrator's beliefs, the three elderly characters in the story quickly dismiss his rationality, firmly believing in the existence of a ghost haunting the Red Room.

The conflicts within the characters contribute to the increasing tension and overall structure of the play, captivating the reader. From the start, the narrator's denial sets him up for a downfall. The next climax occurs when the narrator enters the red room, navigating through a dark corridor—a hallmark of a well-crafted ghost story. Here, he grapples with accepting paranormal occurrences through rational explanations. This fluctuation of climactic moments creates a thrilling reading experience akin to a bungee jump.

The young man finally arrives at the Red Room, feeling slightly anxious. He decides to thoroughly search the room, paying special attention to the dark corners. The tension dissipates as candles are lit, creating an anticlimactic atmosphere. The narrative progresses for a few more pages with minimal events until the next climax unfolds. As the story develops, the language becomes brief and intense, and it is at this moment that the author introduces more suspense. By extinguishing the candles one by one, without any scientific explanation, the abnormality becomes inexplicable to the character.

The climax occurs when the fire is put out. This is when the character becomes extremely frightened and in their panic, they inadvertently knock themselves unconscious. After this, the story gradually declines and ends without reaching a conclusion. Farthing House begins on a high note as

the character embarks on an emotional journey through memories triggered by familiar sights and smells. These recollections transport them back into the past. The next highlight is reached when they are taken to the Cedar room.

The room gives her an unsettling sensation. That night, as she went to bed, she had a dream about a baby and a crib. She felt herself being transported back in time and woke up startled by the sound of a crying baby. Momentarily confused, she couldn't figure out where she was. This significant part of the story hints to the reader that the dream might be predicting supernatural occurrences. The language used is calm, with no hint of terror or astonishment.

On the following day, she spends time contemplating the events that took place the night before. The story continues to progress and builds up to another intense moment that happens on the subsequent night when she once again sees the ghost. Similar to her previous dreams, they have a strong presence and wake her up when a young woman appears in her room. However, instead of feeling scared, the author expresses a feeling of sorrow and hopelessness because she cannot help this woman, which is something she feels obliged to do. Unlike what happened in the Red Room, this narrative maintains self-control without any signs of panic, apprehension, or extreme fear.

Despite the differences in format and setting, a surprising twist occurs at the end of the story. In the closing lines, a newspaper article reports an incident involving a woman who tried to abduct a baby and identified her residence as 'Farthing House Close, Little Dornford'. The narratives of

"Farthing House" and this news article share similarities and disparities. The former adopts the form of a letter, where the narrator reflects on their past encounters. Furthermore, these tales unfold in distinct time periods, leading to differing language choices as each author wrote in separate centuries with varying moods.

The story of Farthing House presents the ghost in a sympathetic light rather than as something to be feared. Unlike the character in the Red Room, the character in Farthing House believes in the existence of ghosts. Both stories share similar settings, as both houses are old, isolated, and adorned with antique decor. In both stories, the ghosts are confined to specific rooms within the houses. However, the introduction of the ghosts occurs midway through the stories. In contrast to the Red Room, where the ghost is unseen by the narrator but only felt, the ghost in Farthing House is clearly seen and experienced.

The tension in the early stages of the story is gradually built up through the use of shadows, which the narrator fears. To counteract this fear, the narrator lights candles and a fire in the corners of the room, hoping to bring illumination and drive away the shadows. However, this plan fails as "the fire was no sort of comfort to me." This is where we first glimpse the presence of a ghost - invisible yet capable of moving unseen around the room and extinguishing the candles.

The absence of a draft in the room leaves no explanation for why the candles should extinguish. Even when the character tries to convince himself that it's nonsense, the fire unexpectedly goes out. The ghost seems to sense

the character's disbelief and challenges him to explain this occurrence. It is almost as if the ghost is toying with him, using language to convey tension and emotions rather than directly depicting the ghost. In my interpretation of the story, the ghost appears to derive pleasure from playing with the man and relishes in watching his fear intensify.

I believe HG Wells is attempting to convey the idea that not every phenomenon in the world can be rationalized through scientific explanations. In the story "Farthing House," the ghost is portrayed in a melancholic setting that evokes empathy from the reader. The ghost appears due to the tragic circumstances surrounding the loss of her child. It seems as though she is reminding people of her sorrow, as if to provoke sympathy by making them aware that nothing can be done to alleviate her pain. Her intention is not to instill fear. The presence of the ghost is introduced to the protagonist through the sounds of a crying baby infiltrating her dream.

The author is attempting to write a tale explaining that not all ghosts should be seen as malevolent or frightening; some simply cannot find peace due to the mistreatment they endured while alive, feeling unresolved about unfinished matters. Both narratives possess advantages and disadvantages, yet my personal preference leans towards The Red Room. This particular story offers heightened excitement, gripping the reader, and aligns more closely with my perception of a conventional ghost story. Ghostly tales harmonize well with the Victorian era when the absence of electric light and foggy London marked the setting. A more satisfactory ending with a sustained climax would have been preferable. I

found the denouement rather lackluster.