Signal man starts Essay Example for Free

Signal man starts Essay The signal mans edginess and fear is apparent throughout the first meeting between him and the narrator I detected in his eyes some latent fear of me. . The signal man seems to have a deep distrust of the narrator as though he has been taunted or tricked by someone or something you look at me as if you had a dread of me. i was doubtful, he returned, whether i had seen you before. The narrator gos on to say that he had never been there before and says you may swear This makes it perfectly clear that there is something that reader is yet to find out that is deeply troubling the signal man . This distrust seems to be fuelled by the words first spoken between them Helloa below there During the ensuing conversation with the signal man in his signal box the signal man starts to relax more, The reader as well as the narrator is put at ease when entering the signal box there was a fire, a desk for an official book in which he had to make certain entries This tells the reader that this is any normal signal box. The fire cold be interpreted in several ways, one of which could back up the idea that the narrator has descended in to some kind of hell. But i have chosen to interpret it as a warm fire keeping the men warm and safe and providing some light source which would relax the narrator, signal man and reader. It is obvious that the men become more confident around each other by the conversation, the signal man tells the narrator many things he had done in his life, and the mistakes he had made gone down and never risen again. This is referring to his failure as a student of natural philosophy and definitely a supporting reference to the idea that the signal box and railway trench is some kind of hell. The signal man is still constantly on edge even if less so, this is shown by his visits to the door to check the tunnel even when it appears the bell doesnt ring. This at first can be interpreted by the reader and the narrator as conscientiousness but later becomes apparent that this is not the case. The tunnel is a key setting within the hellish atmosphere that dickens tries to create. The tunnel is the setting of every death in the story, it is conveyed as a dark and horrible place saw the wet stains stealing down the walls. The tunnel is also the place where the fiendish spector appears, warning of death and misfortune. The tunnel makes the reader uncomfortable and along with the spector scares, intimidates and intrigues the reader. The narrator mentions that the signal man might be mentally ill shut up within narrow limits all his life and the narrator asks him to seek medical help. But by the end of the story it is apparent that as well as the spector warning of two previous crashes it is also for telling the signal mans own death when he is hit by a train after seeing the spector. This leaves a question though, Is the spector warning the signal man of his death? Or is the spector the psychological killer of the signal man? This dramatic anti climax never allows the reader to relax even after the story has ended, leaving an effective permanent mystery as the story comes to no conclusion of what the spector is, real? Or a figment of the signal mans imagination as he pre-eminences his own death? From the beginning of The man with the twisted lip Arthur Conan Doyle attempts to make the reader plunge in to a personal story of drug addiction, and the ruin of a man, or so it appears at least. This draws the reader in because already they have been familiarised with one of the main characters Isa Whitney. This opening paragraph is effectively used as a mini biography from the narrators opinion some foolish freak.  and for many years he continued to be a slave to the drug this extract is quite emotive and shows how he has been over taken and makes the reader feel empathy for Isa Whitney as they now feel familiar with him almost straight away. The reader is further taken in by Isa Whitneys story during the introduction of his wife Kate Whitney he has not been home for two days . I am so frightened. This is where the story changes from a sad, emotive and personal story to one of mystery and suspense.  A missing persons case has begun. Along with the introduction of Kate Whitney there is also the introduction of the narrator and the familiar to the reader Dr Watson. This familiarises the reader with the text as Watson is a recognized and liked character from the Sherlock Holmes series. Watson sets of to find Isa where he thinks he might be found. The opium den. The setting of the opium den sucks the reader in because This is a dark , dangerous place and an integral part of the London underground scene in the late 1800s that makes the reader feel as though they are having a glimpse in to a whole different world. Doyle actively emphasizes as well as repeating the word strange to convey to the reader that this world or cave is completely foreign to him and that he does not like the surroundings that he has found himself in or feels comfortable in them. A steep flight of stairs leading down to a black gap like the mouth of a cave are the words used top describe the opium den. This is a clever use of a simile, comparing the den to some kind of hellish underworld much like the description of the trench in the signal man. It is now we are introduced to Sherlock Holmes, The main man as such in this series of books and this story. Watson finds him Sat on the floor of the opium den and Holmes reveals that he is apparently undercover I am in the midst of a very remarkable enquiry. This further draws the reader in, because at first the reader has no idea why Holmes is there and can only guess at that he must have been overcome by opium, but it becomes apparent that Holmes has a story to tell and that he is in the midst of something special and very interesting. This creates suspense and further mystery for the reader wanting to know exactly why Holmes is their and the nature of his enquiry. This is also where it becomes apparent that Isa Whitney is not the subject of the enquiry and he is sent home in a cab. This provided a handy twist that further encapsulates the reader in to the story, creating a whole new mystery story not letting the readers mind rest. This is the introduction of the missing persons and murder case of Mr Neville St. Clair.  The introduction of a prison cell to this tale complements the dark and devilish atmosphere created by Doyle in the opium den. With the added introduction of the apparent murderer and beggar The man with the twisted lip. The reader feels as though everything is coming to an end and that they can start to relax, but no. This is where the entire story is turned on its head and it is revealed that this man is in fact Mr Neville St. Clair in disguise, the very man he had been arrested for murdering. This twist in the tale entertains the reader as well as bringing an exciting end to the story. Throughout Doyle has effectively used the raging underground crime scene in London at the time to his advantage, playing on the anxietys, fears and imaginations of 18th century Londoners. In The red room The entire story is written in a first person narrative, This effect encourages the reader to feel not only as if they know the narrator but also that hey are in the room with the narrator experiencing his experiences and feeling his emotions. This technique is used to immerse the reader in to the depths of the text.  Within the first four lines of the story a supernatural mystery is beginning to unravel. eight and twenty years . said I, I have lived, and never a ghost have i seen yet. This is almost a challenge to the residents of the house to proof there is such a thing as ghosts. This challenge is used to excite the reader in to reading on but plays on the the fact that Victorians were still embroiled in a superstitious and religious culture, half way between modern science and ancient superstition as earlier mentioned.