The Adventure of the Speckled Band Essay Example for Free

The Adventure of the Speckled Band EssayI read through two quite different short stories, continually considering how they both created suspense (anxious uncertainty, or expectation, or waiting for information) and tension (mental strain or excitement) and more(prenominal) importantly how I could comp be the two, considering both similar and divergent parts in the stories. The first short fiction I examined was The stolen Bacillus. The title itself creates suspense, because of the name stolen.When something is stolen, you always expect a label or investigation into finding the stolen item, and the word Bacillus (a maven bacterium) this would prompt the reader to think of the stereotypical psyche of bacteria- tiny green creatures that appear in films and cartoons. and so from the title, the reader is urged to read on and find out why it has been stolen, who has taken it and if it is going to be recovered. In the opening paragraphs of the story, a pale-faced man is inside the office of the bacteriologist.Wells refers to this man as the visitant, confirming that he is not k right offn to the bacteriologist, leaving him at this manoeuvre in the story totally anonymous. Wells describes the visitor in great detail, particularly concentrating on his physical attributes. Examples of this are he held a limp fair hand over his disengaged eye. These particular details help to develop this feeling of suspense and tension, as our idea of the visitor now, is that he is rather creepy and sinister.What follows this is a very important line from the visitor And besides those little particles, those mere atomies, might multiply and devastate a city. This captures the feeling of the plot entirely, the reader is now wondering why the twisted and sadistic visitor is there after all. These anarchist rascals. Perhaps at this point, the visitor was going to tell the bacteriologist what his real aim was. But before he can do so, the wife of the scientist (Minnie) knoc ks on the office door- a perfect opportunity for the visitor to take the Bacillus (cholera).At this point, the reader can now decide whether the visitor will take it or not. This draws us into the story, as well as building up a great deal of tension. After this, comes the most provoke and fast part of the story- the chase. The bacteriologist has realised that his visitor has stolen the bacillus, so he pulls up a horse-drawn hacker and begins the chase. A lot of tension and suspense is built up in this scene firstly the chiliad of the story picks up because of the use of Shorter words/sentences, Wells uses this technique to increase the overall excitement of the chase scene.Words that create this are gesticulating wildly, mad, hastily and swished. The other cockney cab men are commentating on the chase, making it seem like a horse race on the radio or television, which adds to the excitement. Harry Hicks (the visitors cab driver) was using his whip, which was very surprising as it states that cab drivers never normally utilize their whips. This also adds to this exciting, tense atmosphere. Minnie then picks up a cab and starts to chase the others. The behaviour of the other cab drivers then begin to change they stupefy really excited and start shouting remarks out.It is at this point in the story in which Wells now refers to the visitor as the Anarchist, earlier on in the story, he was calling anarchists Rascals. Towards the end of the chase, the anarchist reveals what his motives for stealing the bacillus were. This is the result of a lot of tension, as this is the first time we enjoy why he has stolen from the bacteriologist. At the end of the chase, when the Phial breaks, the feeling of the story becomes very sorrowful, as the anarchist studys he is going to die, and more importantly, so does the reader.But the actions of the casualty become quite sinister once again, as he starts to laugh and states, anyhow, I shall be a martyr. thither is a lot o f suspense at this point of the story, coming from the incident that he is laughing when he shouldnt be. Throughout the chase scene, the bacteriologist had been extremely worried, but at the end we find out that the so called cholera is actually a substance that turns animals blue, and the reader sees the bacteriologist laugh it off, and the only factor he worries about is the fact that hell have to make some more.The argue why Wells did so well creating the suspense and Tension in his story, is the fact that he left it until the very end to let the reader know what the bacillus really was. The second Short story I read was The Adventure of the Speckled Band, which is found around Sherlock Holmes and his partner Watson trying to solve the murder of a young lady. What I believe made this story really worth reading, is the fact that Conan Doyle wrote it from Watsons point of view.Where as The Stolen Bacillus was written in third persons point of view, which in my opinion isnt as e ffective as Conan Doyles first person view. My reason for this, is the story can be made a lot more descriptive, and that it draws the reader into the story as it makes them feel as though they are in the story as a lot more personal words are used we, you, they etc