Examine_What_Methods_Writers_Use_to_Keep_the_Readers_Interested_in_a_Short_Story

‘Examine what methods writers use to keep the readers interested in a short story’ I have been reading a selection of short stories all in and around the theme of horror and thriller. The three stories I have chosen to further analyse are: The Tell Tale Heart, The Monkeys Paw and The Landlady. My analysis will be of three main components of the authors style of writing: How the author has created an interesting opening'; How the central character and narrator are used to create interest'; How the details revealed of the plot by the writer intrigues the reader'; How the writer makes the build up to the climax interesting' The Tell Tale Heart opens with the central characters narration: ‘True! – nervous – very, very dreadfully nervous..’ The reader straight away from the first line is able to recognise the characters feeling of hesitation and slight unease. This makes the reader want to read on to find out what the happenings surrounding the character are to make them feel in so hesitant and uneasy. This opening is followed straight away by a question : ‘..but why will you say that I am mad' The disease has sharpened my senses—not destroyed – not dulled them.’ This question works so as to make the reader curious as to what it is this man in talking about and why it seems that he is defending himself from a person calling him ‘mad’. This proves a good opening as it urges the reader to continue reading so as to understand what it is the character is talking about. In the Tell Tall Heart the author uses the central character as the narrator. This allows the reader insight into feelings and emotions of the character that may not have been portrayed in much detail (and it is this detail which makes the story)had the character not narrated it himself. An example were the character explains feelings that would have allowed the reader less detailed had the narrator not been the central character is when the character compliments himself ‘You should have seen with how wisely I proceeded – with what caution—with what foresight – with what dissimilation I went to work!’ The author once again uses punctuation this time to show the excitement as the character finds reason for praise the way in which he carried out his act. The act would have been looked down upon as madness had any other character or an ordinary narrator narrated the scene. By having the central character narrate from his own point of view, the reader can see the whole idea of the murder as a slightly humorous achievement than as to how one would usually see it as a crime (murdering the old man for reason of not liking his eye). The writer leaves the characters current location a mystery, leaving the reader curious to who and under what circumstances the character is telling the story. The author writes the characters narration leaving out great description of location instead using the characters quirkiness to set the atmosphere. Yet though he does not go into much detail the writer describes the place of the murder as the room of the old man; this makes the reader feel at slight unease; having someone murdered in their own room and then to be cut up and put under their own floorboards. ‘Oh you would have laughed to see how cunningly I thrust it in! I moved it in slowly – very, very slowly, so that i might not disturb the old man’s sleep. It took me an hour to place my whole head within the opening....... And this i did for seven long nights—every night just at midnight –‘ By turning a place where the murdered character should have felt safe into a place of murder and death brings an uncomfortable atmosphere to the story. The writer cleverly makes the move of revealing the plot which is the murder of the old man quite soon into the story. As within the second paragraph it is told. ‘For his gold i had no desire. I think it was his eye! Yes it was this! He has the eye of a vulture -- ..... Whenever it fell upon me my blood ran cold; and so by degrees – very gradually – i made up my mind to take the of the old ma, and thus rid myself of the eye forever.’ Yet you can tell the focus of the writer was not on the action and the plot itself but of the actual state of mind and portrayal the character is giving of the event, and his constant claim that his act was not that of madness but almost necessity and the intelligent thing to do. ‘If you still think i me mad, you will think so no longer when I describe the wise precautions i took for the concealment of the body. The night waned, and I worked hastily, but in silence. First of all i dismembered the corpse. I cut off the head and the arms and the legs.’ It is through the characters excitement in the build up of the story that keeps the reader entertained. The writer after the event of murder cleverly allows the reader to stop and think, what else is there left now for the character to do' The build up to the very unexpected revelation by the character was very fast moving from the moment of the police entry with the writer writing in such a way that as the climax was built so was the tension and excitement in the characters mind being built is felt by the reader bringing the reader into the story. ‘ The shriek, i said, was that of my own in a dream. The old man, i mentiones , was ansent in the country. I took my visitors all over the house. I bade them search – search well. I led them, at length to his chamber. I showed them his treasures, secure, undisturbed.’ This tension reaches its peak as the central character believes he can hear the heart of the dismembered old man from under the floor boards and his assumption that the police can also hear it. ‘Almighty God! – No, no! They heard! – they suspected!—they knew! – they were making a mockery of my horror!—this i thought and this i think.... “villains” i shrieked , “dissemble no more! I admit the deed! – tear up the planks! Here, here! – it is the beating of his hideous heart!” ‘ The author of the monkeys paw does not go as quickly into his plot as that of the Tell Tale Heart. The monkeys paw has a seemingly prosaic beginning, by introducing the reader into setting and what is going on ‘without, the night was cold and wet, but in the parlour of labour villa the blinds were drawn and the fire burnt brightly. Father and son were at chess..’ the author gives a very seemingly casual setting but deliberately makes a contrast between what is going on with the uncomfortable weather and the peace which is found within the home. The writer then uses dialogue to let the reader know just how hamlet like and hard to get that the villa is. ‘ “that’s the worst of living so far out,” bawled Mr. White, with a sudden and unlooked for violence; “ of all the beastly, slushy , out-of-the-way places to live this is the worst” ‘ The writer uses these under toned hints in the introduction, forcing the reader to suspect something may come from outside to disturb the peace. Yet he cleverly uses humour to distract the readers suspicions leading them back into the false sense of security given by the peace within the house. ‘ “never mind, dear” said his wife soothingly; “perhaps you’ll win the next one.” Mr White looked up sharply, just in time to intercept a knowing glance between mother and son’ The atmosphere in the house completely changes as the plot begins to thicken when the major enters the house from outside. ‘The sergeant major shook hands, ... Watched contently while his host got out the whiskey and tumblers and stood a small copper kettle on the fire. At the third glass his eyes got brighter, and he began to talk’ the writer allows the quiet presence of the major to bring a mysteriousness to the character making the reader already curious about him. As the major begins to speak of his journey to India, Mr White reminds the major to tell him and his family more about ‘the monkeys paw’ the writer uses this chance to show the feeling of unease which surrounds the monkeys paw by making the Major less enthusiastic about giving out information on the subject, almost as if attempting to make it seem unimportant. The writer shows the majors hesitation to tell more and for the first time the reader feel emotion coming from the mysterious character. ‘ “well it’s just a bit of what you might call magic, perhaps,” said the sergeant-major off-handedly’ from his hesitation the reader understands that there is something dodgy about the monkeys paw and straight away feels uneasy about it. Once again though the writer used slight humour and the comfort of the naive simple reaction of the characters in the family towards it make the paw seem harmless and almost makes the reader once again second guess their suspicions. ‘ .. said sergeant major “ but i warn you of its consequences.” “sounds like Arabian nights,” said Mrs White, as she rose and began to set the supper. “don’t you think you might wish for four pairs of hands for me'” ’ The writer uses what the reader has learnt about the monkeys paw and the way the monkeys paw was handed to them as a way to start into the plot. This having sparked the curiosity of the reader for the explanation into the mystery surrounding the monkeys paw and how and what it can achieve allowed the writer to go thicken the plot. After the first wish for £200, and the coincident death of their son, events prove to go wrong and with the event the reader is reminded of the character of the major and his hesitance when speaking about the monkeys paw and of his warning. ‘ “ they admit no liability at all, but it consideration of your sons services wish to presnt you with a certain sum of compensation” ..... “two hundred pounds,” ’ the writer changes then to build up to the climax. Instead of simply telling the story as he had been so far the writer begins to tell us more about the characters emotions and feelings. Bringing us into their minds, and thoughts. The writer uses these emotions of the characters to build up to the climax. He uses the desperate heartbroken, unstable state of the mother in contrast to the frightened and clear thinking state of her husband. This conflict of emotions keeps the reader guessing up until the very end of the story. As the mother asks that a wish be made to bring their son back from the dead; her husband lets her think that he believes her to be mad but the reader can tell that he fears the consequences of this wish. ‘ “bring him back,” cried the old woman, and dragged him toward the door “Do you think i fear the child i have nursed” the plot then further thickens as the old man does as the old lady had asked wishing for the son to come back. Yet as reality hits him when the front door is knocked the old man hastily changes his mind – here the reader once again sees conflict of interests as the mother hastily attempts to opne her son to receive her wish the father rushes to find the paw so as to take his wish back. The writer uses how he portrays this conflict so as to let the reader have this conflict with themselves. As the reader is curious to know what would happen if the wish granted but also frightened as the old man is , of its consequences. ‘ “the bolt,” she cried loudly. “Come down. I can’t reach it.” But her husband to busy on his knees groping wildly on the floor in search of the paw. If he could only find it before the thing outside got in..... He heard the creaking of the bolt as it came slowly back, and at the same moment he found the monkey’s paw, and frantically breathed his third and last wish.” in the story of the Landlady the writer uses a traditional start by describing a very innocent and ordinary looking story. Leading the reader into a false sense of security. ‘Billy weaver had travelled from London on the slow afternoon train..... by the time the he got to bath it was about nine o’clock in the evening the moon was coming up out of a clear starry sky over the houses opposite the station entrance. But the air was deadly cold and the wind was like a flat blade of ice on his cheeks’ this opening makes the reader curious to find out what it is that brings the character to this new place and why he travelled so far. Yet the way the paragraph is ended with the very sinister way of describing the wind the writer makes the reader feel (though very slightly) a bit on the edge. The writer uses the simplicity and innocence of the boys character against the odd and cunning attitude of the old lady. The writer lets the feeling of billy to be quite obvious and quickly read by the reader. Yet in the case of the old lady the reader slowly becomes suspicious of her. Mainly because of the odd comments and actions made by her. This can be noticed from the her odd entrance into the story. ‘normally you ring the bell and you have to wait at least half a minutes wait before it is opens. But this dame was like a jack-in-the-box. He pressed the bell-and out she popped! It made him jump’