The Signalman has an unsuspected ending

- Pages: 10
- Word count: 2272
- Category: College Example
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Order NowâThe Signalmanâ is a spooky, sardonic and peculiar story with twists and an ending that will shock and surprise you .The sense of death throughout the story adds a poky sense to make feel scared and traumatised.
The suspense is built tremendously using an extensive range of character descriptions and vocabulary. This is what the author, Charles Dickens special quality is and he does this in many of his other novels.
In âThe Signalmanâ Dickens makes links to many other gothic fiction novels such as âDraculaâ by Bram Stoker and Mary Shellyâs âFrankensteinâ. âThe Signalmanâ builds tension just like âDraculaâ using dark dingy atmospheric effects.
Darkness is one of the main aspects of gothic fiction used in âThe Signalmanâ for example in âDraculaâ âthe stairs were dark, being lit only by loopholesâ. Darkness adds a mysterious scary effect.
Another aspect of gothic fiction used in âThe Signalmanâ, probably one of the most important aspects in this case, is supernatural forces. For example in the bone-crunching disturbing novel âThe Haunted Hotelâ the quote âThe flesh of the face was gone. The shrivelled skin was darkened in hue, like the skin of an Egyptian mummyâ. This quote shows supernatural forces present when describing an apparition. When supernatural forces are present you can believe the unbelievable in the story.
In âJane Eyreâ by Charlotte BrontĂŻÂżÂœ Jane is guarding a horrifically injured man close to a room that houses his attacker. In this senses are used to add mood again this is a common gothic fiction skill used also in âThe Signalmanâ. In Jane Eyre a quote that shows this is âA sharp creak, a momentary renewal of snarling canine noise, and a deep human groanâ, the use of senses with personification giving inanimate objects human qualities in âJane Eyreâ it shows how much pain the man is in by comparing him to a âcanineâ.
In Bram Stokerâs âDraculaâ the young hero Jonathan Harker is suspicious of the count and single handed he goes in search of the counts secret. The theme of isolation and loneliness is used here to make it effectively think that it is you alone are in the story. For example when Jonathan Harker is recalling looking around for the Counts secret in the Counts house, âI went, but saw nothing except fragments of old coffins and piles of dustâ
Getting on to âThe Signalmanâ and how the opening two paragraphs, immediately in this opening tension starts to build. The first sentence âHalloa below there!â is speech however the reader has no idea who is saying what. This already is supposed to make you feel a sense of mysterious urgency as we have no idea what is going on.
Also when the narrator calls down to the signalman he does not look up at him he looks at the train line, although the reader does not know why he looked there it seems intensely strange. The reason he looks at the train line is that he thinks that a ghost from the rail is talking to him. We know this because of the quote âinstead of looking up to where I stood on the top of the steep cutting nearly over his head he turned himself about and looked down at the lineâ. This makes the signalmanâs character eerie and mysterious early on in the story.
In the Victorian times when this was written many people were actually suspicious and slightly scared of trains and the way the way a simple trains passing is described here could terrify someone back then. For example a train here is described as a violent pulsation which agrees with peoples beliefs back then.
The quote âangry sunsetâ sets the atmosphere and setting for the opening by giving an inanimate object a human characteristic it reflects the mood of the signalman, showing he is worried or upset about something already.
Throughout the story the signalman is portrayed as a particularly odd character. It is quite apparent there is something wrong with him but it is not obvious what. For instance when the narrator is trying to talk to the signalman, the latter ignores the narrator. It seems at this point already that the signalman is scared by the man as he just doesnât reply, as it says âHe looked up at me without replyingâ This also makes the narrator seem like his question was âidleâ as it didnât seem important enough for him to answer. The way the signalman ignored the narrator makes him seem like he is insulted and possibly angry.
Also the way the signalmanâs movement is described makes him seem dull and robot-like. For example the phrase âhe turned himself aboutâ is repeated twice making it seem like a basic command, with purposeful lack of exciting vocabulary. He also had âfixed attentionâ at the narrator an odd robot like characteristic.
The Cutting is a small apace of land through which runs a train line. This is the setting for the story, setting atmosphere and reflecting the characters personalities. The Cutting is a spooky and disturbing place which reflects the personality of the signalman. We know itâs dull and disturbing through the quote âIt was made through a clammy stone that became oozier and wetter as I went downâ. The eerie effect is created by Dickens distinctive choice of vocabulary; the word âclammyâ has more effect than saying deep or slimy building tension with a scary feeling caused. Also the word âoozierâ has more of a deep watery lake like effect which makes it seem mysterious.
The Cutting is also in the middle of no-where, we know this because of the line âHis post was in as solitary and dismal place a place as I ever sawâ, the word solitary means be seclude or by yourself . This makes you think that he is not used to being in the company of others, making it hard for him to know how to act around others as he never see anyone else.
Also, the word âdismalâ makes it obvious that the cutting is a dark depressing place, just like the signalmanâs personality.
The metaphor âthe great dungeonâ is saying that, like a dungeon, there is no way out of the cutting making it seem scary and claustrophobic.
Initially the signalman is described as âa dark sallow manâ. This makes him seem curious, odd and mysterious. All this comes to mind when someone is described as dark.
The signalman curiously acts like he has seen the narrator before in the tunnel. Although the reader doesnât know that this is because the signalman thinks the man is a ghost. An example that shows this is when âHe directed a most curious look towards the red light near the tunnels mouth, and looked all about it, as if something were missing from it, and then looked at meâ. This shows the curious personality of the signalman and his belief in supernatural forces.
At the beginning of the story the two characters think that one another are a ghosts. For instance âThe monstrous thought came into my mind, as I perused the fixed eyes and saturnine face, that this was a spirit, not a man.â This quote shows quite obviously the narrators initial opinion of the signalman.
There is no definite evidence that shows initially the signalman thought the narrator was a ghost however there is evidence that shows the man scared the signalman; âI detected in his eyes some latent fear of meâ. By not knowing the signalmanâs exact opinion it builds tension making the reader think that the signalman is a ghost taking sides with the narrator. This makes the reader have to work out whatâs going on piecing together clues through the story.
The character of the signalman is an interesting, distinctive and disturbing one due to his odd behaviour throughout the story. For example some of the odd things he did on the first meeting with the narrator, âhe twice broke off with off with a fallen colour, turned his face to the little bell when it did not ring, opened the door of the hut (which was kept shut to avoid the unhealthy damp) and looked towards the red light near the mouth of the tunnelâ. By doing these things it makes you think if the signalman is mentally damaged.
âIn his peculiar low voice, till you have found the way up. When you have found it, donât call out! And when you are at the top donât call outâ. This is a quote from when the signalman and the narrator are planning their second meeting. There are two things you can pick up from it as well firstly we know the signalman has a particularly peculiar voice, this adds to the already weird character description of the signalman. Secondly the signalman distinctly asks the man no to call out which does seem fairly strange. It is actually because the signalman does not want to get the ghost confused with the narrator.
The reader should definitely know by now that yes something is troubling him, âWhat is your trouble? It is very difficult to impart, Sir. It is very difficult to speak of. If ever you make me another visit, I ill try to tell youâ. This is where you want to read on to see what happens, building tension until you find out. The delay between the two meetings makes you have to read on further to find out what happens, building tension by teasing the reader.
Again building tension is achieved when the signalman asks the narrator about the words he used at the beginning of the story and if âthey were conveyed to you in any supernatural wayâ, this introduces a supernatural element in conversation.
When the signalman tells the story he promised he shows no reluctance and gets into it straight away. He says âyou should not have to ask twice what troubles meâ, it seems like whatever it is it is important and he needs and wants to tell the narrator.
The phrase âHalloa below there!â from the begging is used twice in the signalmanâs story under the belief that it was said to him by some kind of supernatural force. That is why âHalloa below thereâ terrified the signalman.
âThe Signalmanâ has a strong element of death throughout the story. The first is the original train accident, for example the signalman said âthe memorable accident on this line happenedâ. The second death is a young girl, âa beautiful young lady had died instantaneouslyâ. The effects of death references add fear, mystery and confusion to the story.
The signalman says a ghost warned him about the first crash because, âsix hours after the appearance, the memorable accident on this line occurred.
After the signalman had told his tale the narrator was scared but he wonât admit it, for instance âA disagreeable shudder came over me, but I did my best against itâ. This shows how the narrator believed what the signalman said but is trying not to show it by hiding his fear. The narrator then calls it a âcoincidenceâ but however, he soon reconsiders and says âmen of common sense did not allow much for coincidences in making the ordinary calculations of lifeâ. This shows the narrators confusion and conflicting ideas. This also confuses the reader making them have to think like the narrator.
The narrator is Yet again confused and scared as the signalman is describing the ghost. After the signalman is finished describing the ghost the narrator had to sit down to âpartly to collect my thoughts, partly because it turned me faintâ. This shows the reader that the narrator is well and truly scared and it shows that the reader should be too.
Throughout the story the signalmanâs fear rises to the point where the narrator wonders if he is sane enough to his job. Evidence that shows the narrator was worried for the signalmanâs sanity is, âI saw for the poor mans sake, as well as for the public safety I had to compose his mindâ. This shows that the signalman was so scared he was jeopardising his sanity.
Further evidence that shows the signalman was scared is when the narrator asked him to come and look for the ghost with him, the text says, âhe bit his under lip as though he was some what unwillingâ. This builds tension as the signalman is scared of whatâs out there.
But what bothers the signalman most is the fear of something tragic happening again. Solid evidence that blatantly shows this is, âThere is dreadful danger over-hanging somewhere on this line. Some dreadful calamity will happenâ. This builds tension tremendously as the reader is dying to know what that tragedy is.
Before the end of the story the narrator is on his way to see the signalman he saw âa man with his sleeve across his eyes, passionately waving his right armâ, this links back to the description of the ghost from the beginning of the story. However instead of being a ghost itâs a man. This naturally scares the man, âthe nameless horror that oppressed meâ, when he realises it is a man and not a ghost he is relieved.
The ending was completely unexpected and very surprising. The signalman believed that like the other two deaths someone else was next, he did not expect it to be himself though. He was run down by a train, the driver tried to warn him by saying âbelow there! Look outâ, just like the ghost would say he must have been intrigued that the ghost from the tunnel was trying to contact him.
To conclude builds tension in a way only Dickens knows; the ending was throughout going to be a significant exiting one but not involving the death of the signalman, very surprising.