Which is scarier, The Invisible Man Or The Landlady Essay Example

origin isn't elucidated until chapter nineteen - these traits lend credibility to his distinct persona.

The invisible man's past remains a mystery for most of the book, adding to his already abrupt and irascible manner and causing curiosity and suspicion among the locals. Eventually, his invisibility is discovered, leading to panic. Although Griffin's invisibility is made known to the readers, Wells does not explain it, increasing his sinister reputation. Wells portrays Griffin as unpleasant and aggressive with a ghastly appearance that scares children who dream of bogies at nightfall.

Despite being a man suffering under almost unendurable provocation, Griffin is portrayed by Wells in such unpleasant terms that the reader finds it difficult to empathize with him and he is more frightening than pathetic. Additionally, Wells highlights the stark differences between the villagers and the invisible stranger by depicting the former as very parochial with underdeveloped characters. Even Mr and Mrs Hall exhibit the same character profile as the rest of the villagers, characterized by a broad accent and ignorance of the outside world. The villagers are almost comical, clumsily maneuvering around each other in their attempts to avoid the Invisible Man due to their limited intelligence.

According to Wells, the "experimental investigator" is significantly stronger than the other characters, which makes him intimidating. The only notable exception is Dr. Kemp, whom Griffin assumes will assist him in creating his terrifying reign. Both Griffin and Kemp were classmates in their student days.

In the novel, Griffin's intellectual equal is Kemp. When Kemp fails to apprehend Griffin, the growing threat of his madness becomes more terrifying. We fear that Griffin will follow through with his plan to

kill anyone who opposes him. However, we expect that in a book from this era, the villain will be thwarted and good will prevail.
Moving on to "The Landlady," the story introduces us to Billy Weaver, a seventeen-year-old junior employee who travels from London to Bath for business. This young man is full of naivety, eager to climb the ranks in his career. Dahl uses abundant adjectives and superlatives when writing from Billy's perspective, characterizing his youthful zeal.

Billy's naivety makes him susceptible to harm and causes the reader to worry for him. Despite perceiving the landlady as unstable, he insists that she is benevolent. The irony lies in her malicious intent. Billy disregards her strange conduct even after Dahl offers hints as to her true nature, such as when she materializes rapidly in response to Weaver's bell, likening her to a "jack-in-the-box." The employment of this figure of speech creates a sense of unease and amplifies the growing suspense.

The landlady has a gentle appearance with a round pink face and serene blue eyes. However, these same blue eyes unnervingly scan Billy's entire body before traveling back up. Despite speaking of her previous young tenant in past tense, she contradicts herself by claiming he never left and still resides in the building along with Mr. Temple on the fourth floor.

This is concerning. The landlady's seemingly sweet demeanor sharply contrasts with her cruel plan to poison and taxidermy Billy. She even smiles kindly at him while giving him cyanide-laced tea. Her apparent kindness and respectability, coupled with her calculated madness, make her a truly terrifying character. Although the invisible man's anger and rantings are frightening,

they pale in comparison to the landlady's cold and calculated manipulation of her victim. While we understand the unique circumstances that led to the invisible man's madness, the reason for the landlady's behavior remains a mystery, leaving us to wonder how many similar women are waiting to claim their next victim. In the first part of 'The Invisible Man', a sense of mystery and dread emanate from the invisible man, mixed with humorous moments such as when he removes his nose, causing Mrs. Hall to scream and drop it on the ground where it rolls around.

As the book progresses and the invisible man's crimes become more serious, the comic element diminishes. This shift is apparent in the scene where the invisible man has a comical struggle with the villagers prior to leaving the Coach and Horses. However, Wells adds a poignant line that reads, "But Jaffers lay quite still, face upward and knees bent." This single sentence marks a significant turning point, as it is the first instance of real harm caused by the invisible man, which effectively serves to dispel any comedic undertones present up to that point.

As the siege of Doctor Kemp's house occurs and Ayde is shot, the comical element diminishes, indicating a more serious tone. The book's conclusion is filled with thrilling action that generates a sense of crisis and fear, heightening the invisible man's threat. Unlike Wells, Dahl's suspense relies on his subtle language use as he writes in short story format rather than a full-length novel. Dahl describes the Bed ; Breakfast sign as having a compelling effect on the protagonist, resembling a large, black eye staring through the

glass.

The initial indication of an eerie atmosphere derives from the presence of an uncanny image of an eye, causing unease and suggesting a potential threat. Throughout the text, Dahl carefully sprinkles clues that emphasize the abnormality of the situation and the ulterior motives of the landlady. One such hint alludes to her depiction of a previous lodger as "blemish-free".

Building up anticipation and suspense for the reader, Dahl drops various hints throughout the story which Billy seems oblivious to. As the story progresses, these clues become more frequent, such as when Billy recognises familiar names in the guest book and tries to connect them. The tension increases as the reader waits in suspense to see if Billy will remember what happened to these men and avoid their fate in time. Unfortunately, the Landlady keeps distracting him whenever he gets close to discovering the link.

Throughout the story, Dahl employs irony, as seen when Billy praises the landlady's ability at taxidermy, causing fear for him as he is naively underestimating the danger she poses. The level of fear experienced by readers is dependent on societal events and interests at the time of reading. For example, H.G. Wells was writing during a period of significant scientific progress.

Before writing "The Invisible Man", Rontgen had introduced X-ray technology, which is actually referenced by Wells in the story to explain invisibility. At the time, Becquerel had discovered Uranium's radioactivity while Rutherford published research on magnetic detection of electrical waves. The idea of a single scientist making an amazing discovery and the potential consequences had intrigued Wells' readers. The fear, destruction, and panic caused by the invisible man could be relevant to future

discoveries by real scientists, causing alarm and fear. Today's rapid scientific advances differ from those of Wells' time, making his tale less relevant to modern readers. However, Griffin's descent into madness remains relatable.

During the time that "The Landlady" was penned, which was in 1959, there were numerous Bed ; Breakfasts scattered all over the country. These establishments were operated by war-widowed females. Simultaneously, there was a surge in the number of individuals who travelled alone around the country for business purposes. These individuals frequently had to take up lodging in these guesthouses. Thus, to people of that era (and to some extent today), this story could potentially be factual. This serving to make the book even more alarming as the events that transpire in it could be plausible.

Despite there being fewer boarding houses than when the book was written, a mobile work force still exists, with many young men travelling the country. This B;B's low prices would attract such travellers. 'The Landlady' is scarier for modern readers as her actions remain plausible, whereas the references in 'The Invisible Man' are outdated. Recent scientific breakthroughs have been made by teams of scientists in the field of biology. Griffin's extreme personality makes it unlikely that a scientist in his position would behave similarly. It is more probable that they would share their discovery and seek assistance.

The most frightening part of 'The Invisible Man' is how the town villagers responded to his invisibility and ultimately killed him. This is scary because human behavior remains constant throughout time, and mobs can still attack and kill individuals. While 'The Invisible Man' may have been more terrifying for its contemporary audience,

personally, I find 'The Landlady' to be the more frightening story.