In what ways is The Signalman a typical ghost story Essays

In what ways is The Signalman a typical ghost story Essays In what ways is The Signalman a typical ghost story Paper In what ways is The Signalman a typical ghost story Paper The Signalman describes the steam from the train as vapour The driver of the train which runs down the signalman describes his actions just before the train he was driving killed the signalman:- Ah it was a dreadful time, sir. I never left of calling to him. I put this arm before my eyes not to see, and I waved this arm to the last; but it was no use. And finally after hearing the signalmans state of anguish the narrator tries to decide what to do next:- Though in a subordinate position, still he held a most important trust, and would I (for instance) like to stake my own life on the chances of his continuing to execute it with precision? As you can see, the style of writing is quite complicated and written in the familiar old fashioned Victorian style (who says halloa nowadays? but this is standard in ghost stories, even modern day ghost stories use some old fashioned words because it seems to work better. Dickens use of adjectives to create a brooding and supernatural atmosphere is typical of ghost stories, the cutting which is overshadowed by trees leaving little light to shine through is described as a dungeon suggesting a claustrophobic and imprisoned atmosphere which is typical of a ghost story. Rarely are ghost stories set in wide sprawling open spaces and this is no exception. Dickens describes the tunnel (using quite simple adjectives) as having a gloomy entrance and the actual tunnel itself being black and the signal box as dismal. But he then goes onto describe the mouth of the tunnel as described as having a barbarous, depressing and forbidding air and then the narrator feels as though he had left the natural world like he had entered hell, then he goes on to describe the sounds the wind blowing through the telegraph wires make:- But do listen for a moment to the wind. and the wild harp it makes of the telegraph wires Language like this adds plenty of atmosphere to this already evil location and gives it a supernatural air. Ghost stories always have plenty of atmosphere (so this is a typical feature) by using language like this the story makes you feel as though you are actually there in this evil setting with all the disturbing features present. Dickens describes the feeling of the train coming as a violent pulsation like it was an evil force, you get a real feeling of how noisy and powerful this thundering beast is. Dickens also uses descriptive writing when the narrators what its like walking down the steep sides of the cutting:- It was made through a clammy stone, that became oozier and wetter as I went down Which suggests to me that the closer he gets to the railway line, the more evil and forbidding the location becomes as though youve stepping from one world to the next just by going down this steep cutting. The two characters are described very well as the narrator has an all-knowing, conf ident air. When thinking of what to do next after listening to the signalmans stories, the narrator thinks to himself:- I had proved the man to be intelligent, vigilant, painstaking and exact; but how long might it remain so, in his state of mind? The confident narrator uses quite long, complex, fluent sentences as if he knows what he was talking about and is not at all fazed by the ghost stories he had been told and does not even consider the signalmans stories to be true. He stands by the idea that he is right and what he knows what to do next. The narrator says when commenting on his past education says to himself:- He had run wild, misused his opportunities, gone down and never risen again Suggesting that he would never rise to the same level as he (the narrator) was on and that it was a shame the signalman had missed his chance. The narrator seemed to have summed the signalman up before hed got to know him personally or heard any of his past, like he was judging a book by its cover. The reticent, jumpy, nervous air of the signalmans conversations puts a message across to me that this man is scared of something. He is described as having an attitude of expectation and watchfulness, suggesting that something is going to happen. He speaks in much shorter bursts of sentences, no long passive ones here At the danger light, It WAS there, No it was silent. The signalman also shouts to get a point across like he is agitated and on the edge. It is typical for ghost stories for the confident character to use long and fluent sentences and the nervous victim, to use short sentences because he has a lot on his mind, is distracted and does not have time to think. In the first half of a ghost story words such as calm and confident are used to describe the thoughts and feelings of the sceptical character. But the end of the story uses words such as terror and horror used to describe his feelings and thoughts. This is because the sceptical character is not sceptical anymore or confident because he as experienced something terrifying. This is typical of a ghost story for the words to describe his/her state of mind to change completely by the end of the story. The signalman himself is described as dark, sombre and with heavy eyebrows which reminds me of Scrooges appearance in A Christmas Carol. One other typical aspect of ghost stories is there is never any detailed description of the ghost itself at all (if there is one in the story, it may just be a ghostly presence), the story uses suggestion. This is how the signalman describes the ghost:- and I saw this someone else standing by the red light Was the figure dark? Was it a woman or man? All we know from the text was that it was intangible, you have to use your imagination for the rest. This is also typical of ghost stories where you have to use youre imagination. Conclusion Is The Signalman a typical ghost story? I think most of you already knew the answer to this one-of course it is. It has so many of the patented features of ghost stories, the dark, bleak and isolated setting (away from civilisation and help), the spirit appearing one moonlit night, which also means strange shadows. Then there is the two main characters-one nervous and subdued, one confident and rational. The ghost only appears when the victims alone. There is nothing the signalman can do to get rid of the spirit and the ending of the story is typically enigmatic leaving an air of mystery. The list goes on, but the typical elements are what makes it such a good read, without these features it would not be a proper ghost story in my opinion, it would be very hard to write a ghost story without any of these features. Personally I thought The Signalman was a brilliant ghost story which really made me shiver. Its the little details such as the gloomy red warning light, the way the telegraph wires made a noise when its windy and the dark, gloomy tunnel were the factors which were particularly disturbing for me. The fact that it was set in such a lonely place made it all the more scarier, but the surprising twist at the end was probably the best part of the story (where we find out the strange coincidence between the driver, the narrator and the ghost). I prefer stories (such as this) which have a surprising ending, which leaves an air of mystery and makes you think and question the issues in the story, long after you have turned the last page. Although they are quite different in terms of the actual story, Id say that The Signalman is probably not as accomplished and well-rounded as Dickenss other story A Christmas Carol(A Christmas Carol has more of a feel good ending than The Signalman which I preferred to this quite sad one). None the less, The Signalman is more disturbing and scarier and creates a better atmosphere than A Christmas Carol which is an essential part in any ghost story. A brilliant typical ghost story.