The way in which H G Wells has conveyed the element of fear in The Red Room Essay Example

old and grueling.

Within the text, the writer utilizes adjectives such as gaunt, grotesque, and monstrous to portray the uneasy and uncertain mindset of the narrator. Despite his apprehension, the narrator persists in entering the haunted room, still determined to do so despite his unease. In fact, he boldly states, "If, said I, you will show me this haunted room of yours, I will make myself comfortable there." The notion of finding comfort in a haunted room confounds and leaves one doubtful of his self-assurance.

The writer successfully builds up fear in the reader as the narrator begins his journey. The narrator's interactions with other characters, who behave vaguely and negatively towards his ambitions, further fuel the audience's fears. The unusual behavior of the withered armed man and the three pensioners also contributes to the narrator's unease. Although he tries to remain factual, the narrator admits on page 3 that he is affected by the situation and powerless to alleviate his fears. This suggests his moral weakness and leaves the reader apprehensive about what will happen next and how it will be handled.

Alone with his candle, the narrator sets out on his journey down the chilly and echoing passage. As he becomes increasingly deranged, his thoughts and fears are vividly portrayed through Wells' effective language. Despite the importance of remaining calm, the narrator makes an effort to push negative thoughts aside and carries on down the dusty and chilly subterranean passage. This creates a stark contrast to the cozy and lively surroundings he had previously been in by the fire.

The text stresses the importance of avoiding fear, showcasing a narrator who becomes agitated upon hearing

a rustling noise. The narrator proceeds only after ensuring there is no sound. This indicates the narrator's precise and observant state of mind as they attempt to remain composed. The fear builds up through the surroundings, personified through Wells' experimentation with sight and sound symbolism, such as the subterranean passage and the noise heard by the narrator. The narrator stops suddenly after distinguishing a shadow from a bronze group, suspecting someone is crouching to waylay them; this confirms the narrator's cautious and slightly confused state of mind. They reach for their revolver then advance, consolidating their predicament.

The narrator had a revolver in case he encountered any unpleasant shadows. However, his worries were alleviated temporarily when he saw a shining Ganymede and Eagle in the moonlight. Wells' writing is straightforward and thoroughly explores the narrator's frustrating predicament while effectively advancing the plot. Just when the reader thinks they can relax, the narrator is startled by a porcelain Chinaman.

As the narrator ascends the steps to the red room, the writer highlights the ominous atmosphere surrounding him. The aid of candles provides him with some comfort. However, upon hastily opening the door to the red room, his face is half-turned to the silence of the landing, indicating a growing sense of fear and tension. Once inside, the story takes a turn as the narrator shares past incidents that increase his suspicions about the place, raising alarm for the audience. His fears intensify as he ponders philosophically, completely changing the tone of the story.

Although the candle is helpful in calming his fears, it does not provide enough light for the protagonist to see beyond the dark

corners of the room, as noted by Wells on page four. The legends that have emerged in the room's dark and growing shadows are easy to comprehend.

The narrator moves forward with his mission of investigating the location and preventing his anxiety from becoming too intense. He acknowledges that the ambiguous atmosphere was gradually overpowering him, despite his efforts to overcome it. To alleviate his worries, he takes several actions like tucking up the valances of the bed, opening the curtains widely, and inspecting the fastenings of different windows by raising the blinds. He uncovers two large mirrors affixed with sconces carrying candles, which he individually lights, to symbolize that he needs the aid of light to dispel the dark's burden and a fire to keep himself warm. The narrator confesses that examining the room had some positive effects on him; however, he still experienced some unease in the complete silence and remote darkness of the space. This indicates that his fears had lessened somewhat; nevertheless, his state of mind remained in a fragile condition.

The narrator's perceptive state and sensual capacity are evident when he detects the echoing of the stair and crackling of the fire, which do not comfort him. His mind suggests that a shadow in the alcove could be a living thing, causing him considerable nervous tension. For the first time in the story, he expresses his emotions and state of mind to the audience, acknowledging that there is no adequate cause for his condition, yet his mind remains perfectly clear. He resorts to using candles to observe the shadow in the alcove.

Despite the uncertainty of how it would affect

him, we find comfort in the steady and alert approach he takes in handling his fears. To pass the time in the situation, he creates rhymes, some of which he says out loud and scare himself. He then uses his candles to solidify his fears, arranging seventeen of them to light up the room and saying "It occurred to me that when the ghost came, I could warn him not to trip over them."

The author adeptly maintains an uncertain tone as the audience eagerly anticipates the narrator's next encounter, despite the narrator's earlier dismissal of the possibility of ghosts. The tension increases when, after midnight, a candle in the alcove mysteriously goes out, leaving the narrator bewildered. The writer's cunning tactics heighten the audience's suspicion, while the narrator nonchalantly walks to the corner of the room to relight the candle. However, upon turning his head a second time, he notices that two candles have been snuffed out.

The narrator's sudden rise from his seat causes him to question if he had caused it himself unconsciously. To ease his fear, he speaks aloud and inspects the room. Despite variations in language used to indicate the narrator's speech, it has little effect on the story. As the candles go out and fear consumes him, he begins to tremble and struggles to find the matchbox. He tries to avoid delaying striking matches by dropping them on the deedbox, but the shadows he feared return and he admits defeat.

The narrator is in a frenzied state, acknowledging the impending darkness with horror. As a result of his deteriorated mental state, he has sustained physical injuries, wheezing and bruising himself against

the table. Despite his candle rolling away, he realizes the fire remains and endeavors to relight it. However, he drops the candle and futilely extends his arms to push away the ominous darkness before fleeing through the door to escape his fears, which have ultimately triumphed. The writer concludes the narrator's memorable struggle with fear and welcomes the return of the other characters. When the narrator awakens in daylight, he finds his head wrapped in a rough bandage while being monitored by the man with the withered arm.

The narrator temporarily forgets the events and characters from before his adventure, but is reminded by the man with the withered arm who questions whether he now believes in the haunted room. The man displays a different demeanor from his initial portrayal at the beginning of the story, exhibiting sympathy towards the narrator's experience. Similarly, the narrator also experiences a change, going from eager and confident to shattered and injured from his nightmarish encounter. Despite this, the story ends in a reflective and conversational tone as they all try to make sense of what happened.

Despite the lack of real evidence, he admits that the room was haunted, which is ironic because it was actually the fear caused by his confusion that affected him. Throughout his adventure, he battled with what he believed was a ghost or something unpleasant, only to realize that it was fear all along that had governed his reactions. The narrator boldly insists, "There is no ghost in that room, neither of an earl nor a countess, nor any ghost at all; but something far worse...".

The narrator contemplates fear as the worst thing

that torments human beings in their naked essence. This viewpoint alarms the listeners and provides insight into the narrator's sentiments, depicting fear as an ultimate malevolence. Instead of a ghost or a living entity, it was fear that pursued him in the corridor and opposed him in the chamber. The concluding lines serve as the most significant and startling moment of the narrative as the writer reassesses his emotions once again.

The narrator's frustration and sense of powerlessness are conveyed through the eerie atmosphere that surrounds him. Even during bright summer days, he feels a presence lurking behind the curtains and hangings, always following him. As dusk settles in, the feeling intensifies, permeating the corridors and preventing the narrator from turning around. All of this underscores his inability to escape or alter his fate.