How does H.G Wells create suspense in The Cone?

How does H.G Wells create suspense in The Cone?

There are numerous techniques that an author can use to create

interest and suspense when writing a gothic story. Examples of these

are short sentences, pathetic fallacy, and emotive language. However

Wells then goes on to combine this with a romantic element, and

incorporates a crime of passion into the story. So not only does Wells

use the gothic genre and its techniques to create tension, but also

that of the romantic genre.

This story is written in the third person, which works superbly as it

gives an overview of the opinions of all the characters and their

thoughts. For instance Wells writes, ‘She had an impulse to warn him

in an undertone, but she could not frame a word. “Don’t go!” and

“Beware of him!” struggled in her mind, and the moment passed.’ This

technique allows us to connect with more than one of the characters

and understand the different points of view, and feelings emerging

from them. In a way it prevents the reader from becoming overly bias,

because they can see situations from more than one persons

perspective.

The story starts with a description, using long sentences and scores

of adjectives, ‘The night was hot and overcast, the sky red, rimmed

with the lingering sunset of midsummer…’ This sets the scene in a

serene way that leads the reader into a false sense of security, a

beautiful night with two lovers talking in lowered voices. However on

reading the story retrospectively the opening paragraph could be

viewed differently. The sky could be interpreted as angry, or

brooding. It could be ominously setting the scene for things to come,

it already informs us that the story is set a night, could this be the

first gothic element to...

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...e word cone is mentioned over twenty times and is

featured in the title. Therefore I think that Wells really wants us to

take notice of this and start speculating on how this affects the end

of the story, of course, once read we discover that the cone is

actually the piece of machinery that kills Raut, and finishes the

story.

At the very end of the story Horrocks’ conscience comes back to him

and he says, ‘Oh god! What have I done?’ This shows that he is not a

cold-hearted murderer and it shows the reader that perhaps normally he

would have been a nice man, but under the circumstances was pushed to

do something he wouldn’t have normally done.

In conclusion it appears that Wells uses many gothic styles throughout

the story to increase tension. He uses description, long sentences,

passion, and betrayal. This creates a very gothic and interesting

story.