How Does The Writer Create Atmosphere In The Novel The Woman In Black
and the Short Story The Signalman?
"The Woman In Black" and "The Signalman" are both of the same genre
horror/ghost stories. This genre is ideal to create a distinct
atmosphere for the reader to be drawn into. The atmosphere the author
creates for the reader is done so by mainly 2 things. Firstly, the
characters, descriptions of supernatural presence, disbelief of the
character or narrator and their uncertainty or confusion of conflict.
Secondly, the setting, the type of setting chosen is very important
and the way in which the author describes it also.
When we pick up either of these stories we come to expect certain
features from this genre. Both ghost stories have a derelict and
isolated setting, very common in a ghost story. Also, many points are
set in dark and enclosed spaces, where there is an inability to see
clearly. Descriptions are used a lot, especially descriptions of
darkness, strangeness and coldness. In both stories, there is a
"supernatural presence" that is for the most part unexplained, but is
something the narrator can both see and hear. There may be a sense of
evil, or the manifestation us one of unrest. It is up to the reader to
work out the story surrounding the unnatural presence-sometimes at the
same time as the narrator if things are withheld from us. An
atmosphere of unrest, either from the supernatural presence, or the
discomfort from main characters, the narrator and even the reader is
created. The setting creates an atmosphere of isolation and coldness.
The emphasis on darkness and enclosure creates an atmosphere of unrest
and confusion for the reader as well as the narrator. The atmosphere
of ghostlin...
... middle of paper ...
...k" and the short story "The Signalman", as
well as both being of the same genre, they also have other
similarities. They both include a spectre within the story and this is
what the stories are based around. "The Signalman" introduces not only
ghostliness but also death and mourning, this is similar to "The Woman
In Black" when the child dies and Arthur Kipps hears horrifying cries.
They both have terrible reactions when a death is involved. The
Signalman feels he is in some way drawn into the main event, as does
Arthur Kipps in the novel. The Signalman has to experience a death,
which is torturous to him, but he cannot stop it, as does Arthur in
"The Woman In Black".
As for the atmosphere in both these stories, the emphasis on the
descriptions of darkness, of the setting and of the characters
emotions and this helps the reader to feel what is going on.
There are two kinds of evil, moral and natural. Moral evil is things like murder, rape, stealing, terrorism, etc. Natural evil is things like suffering and unpleasantness typically as a result of moral evil. Evil is that which has no power of its own. Evil is darkness, a negation of light. Its power is in us, in our fear of it, in that we consider it a "something" worth responding to.
An Analysis of Peter van Inwagen’s The Magnitude, Duration, and Distribution of Evil: a Theodicy
...be transformed into anger towards others and the denial of ones evil. The neglected shadow if not projected in another's direction, will surface in oneself to restore the imbalance personality. Evil presents us with a daily struggle between temptations and justice. Like Beowulf, we must battle the evils of our shadow until it has been recognized and defeated.
The essence of good in evil is contained within this speech given by Red Horse. That which should be, will come from revolution. The people will fight for what they consider is the truth and if certain morals or institutions stand in the way of that, they must be torn down. The reason for destruction is to actually create anew what is better for existence. This is what I believe the old man is trying to say. That sheer brutality, and that which is considered evil, is the only way to achieve change and therefore a newer, better way of life. It is a concept which sounds harsh and uncompromisingly hurtful to those who are on the opposing end, but it is actually similar to sociology's conflict theory. Without conflict, and therefore the resolution of conflict, there can be no change. Without change, life remains stagnant and in the same cycle of trading one man’s pain for another man’s happiness. Therefore, without evil as a means to achieving good, the world would remain a constant struggle without advancements of living and without advancements of life.
Good, is portrayed by God, and evil seems to be what fate has in store for the
verses evil, the monster is meant to be evil but we as the reader feel
...ubversion of power that is constantly expressed in this book that people want to suppress.
One of the many questions Augustine raised is ‘what is evil’? Committing an act of evil is doing something malicious; the act is done with the intent to cause harm. However, there is a problem with this definition
The setting and atmosphere bring true emotion to the reader that allows people to possibly get a glimpse of what that kind of life might be like. Survival is a consistent theme that is shown throughout the novel. The conflicts each character faces brings inspiration to the reader and reminds you that maybe what we are going through right now might not be so bad. Works Cited Donoghue, Emma. A great idea.
...n idea about the human psyche and the nature of evil. Throughout the novels, we have acts that were dubbed as evil. Some of these were: the acts of the rabbi’s son, the killing of Simon, and even the joy Eliezer felt at the death of his father. All of these points and the many that weren’t mentioned all shared a singular idea. It was that the ulterior motive of these acts revolved around people reacting on instinct and desire. From these, we gain the final message of the novel that was proven time and time again. This message was that evil isn’t an act that just isn’t moral. Evil is the primal, instinctual, an animalistic rage that lives in the darker part of our heart, a part of the heart that is brought to light upon the moment the chains of civilization are broken..... A moment where we fall prey to our instincts and our conscience disappears into the darkness.
Since the dawn of modern civilization the terms good and evil have been used to describe the world and the various things within it. Things ranging from the concepts of the Devil, to the kid the cut in front you in the lunch line in the third grade, evil can be defined in many ways, however, evil is generally defined as something that goes against a single set of moral principles that society has defined. This is not true because evil is something that an individual perceives that they believe will cause them harm and goes against their individual moral beliefs, not some universal concept accepted by everyone.
Upon reading Claudia Card’s “Evils” she deepens her understanding of evil post 9/11. Card goes on to write that her adjustments to the accounts of evil include first that evils are inexcusable and not just culpable, she also states that evils need not be extraordinary and that all institutional evil implies individual reason to blame. Claudia Card continues to define evil as reasonably foreseeable intolerable harms produced, maintained, supported and tolerated by culpable wrongdoings. Evils have two parts, harm and agency. How Card identifies the difference between evil and lesser wrongs is the harm component. Also she has named her theory the atrocity theory because atrocities are her paradigms of evil. But natural disasters such as hurricanes, floods and earthquakes can be disastrous they are not considered atrocities because they are not produced, aggravated by culpable wrongs. They are also not foreseeable. Some examples of evil include genocide or premeditated murder.
When a person finds joy in something, they call it good. On the other hand, if it brings them agony, they call it evil. Good and evil can mean whatever people want you to think they mean. What is good to one person can be evil to another person. For instance, a soldier that goes to war for his country will be viewed as a hero. But the wives and children of the men that the soldier killed will view him as an evil person. No one really knows the true meaning of good and evil. All everyone really knows are just the world’s opinion on what good and evil really are.
... he had chosen a path of evil and that these happenings were simply evil consequences of his evil doings. However, what he hadn’t realized yet was his connection to these supernatural forces and events. He had fallen unknowingly to these powers, and now was merely around the corner from his awaited tragic doom.