In the ghostly and gothic stories studied, the authors have used many language devices to create suspense and tension. A variety of techniques have been used to display this. The description of the setting and characters; the style; the openings of the stories and the imagery builds up the reader's expectation, therefore increasing the level of suspense. Most of the stories studied convey many of these qualities. The main stories focused upon are: `The Signalman' by Charles Dickens, and `The Withered Arm' by Thomas Hardy. Charles Dickens' stories have always been strongly dramatic, strongly visual, and his characters and their settings leap off the page. Hardy's stories also implant themselves firmly in our imaginations, in similar ways.

The openings of the stories create a great deal of suspense and tension. The opening words of `The Signalman', `Halloa! Below there!' start the mystery of the story. After the...