Suspense and the Elements of Fiction in The Monkey’s Paw and The Hitchhiker Essay Example

Everyone likes doing activities that are short and easy to do. Playing a sport, eating some food, watching a cartoon. All nice and short activities to calm you down and clear the frustration out of your brain for other stuff you have later. These activities are just like short stories. The main factor that people like in a short story is the use of suspense and elements of fiction. Two short stories that use suspense and the elements of fiction really well are The Monkey’s Paw, and The Hitchhiker. These two short stories are also well known for the huge amount of suspense and elements of fiction that they use. The Monkey’s Paw, and The Hitchhiker both show excellent uses of suspense and foreshadowing but contrasted a lot in the mood. 

The Monkey’s Paw, and The Hitchhiker are both very similar in terms of suspense. Both of these authors create suspense by showing anxiety and fear in the main characters in both stories. The anxiety and fear are also well integrated into the story, and ends up done in the style that the story was written in. ”Neither spoke, but both lay silently listening to the tickling of the clock. A stair creaked, and a squeaky mouse scurried noisily through the wall. The darkness was oppressive, and after lying for some time screwing up his courage, the husband took the box of matches, and striking one went downstairs for a candle,” (Jacobs 13). The significance of that quote was to further suspense the atmosphere while both of the characters were pressured by the situation. Another way that suspense was built up was by having the events being drawn out for a while. This makes the reader wonder what will happen next. “The cop got off his motorcycle and leaned the machine sideways onto it’s prop stand. Then he took off his gloves and placed them carefully on the seat. He was in no hurry now. He had us where he wanted us and he knew it,” (Dahl 1). This quote is significant because Dahl adds a lot of curiosity and tension to the reader. Making the reader wonder what is going to happen next. The Monkey’s Paw, and The Hitchhiker are very similar in terms of suspense, but are also similar at showing foreshadowing. 

The Monkey’s Paw, and The Hitchhiker are also both very comparable when it comes to foreshadowing. The foreshadowing can be seen with certain characters in both stories as they give subtle hints and don’t really say much beyond that. This was done to have the readers think that there is more to these characters beyond these very loose hints. “Nothing,” said the soldier hastaily. “Leastways, nothing worth hearing,” (Jacobs 2). This quote was meant to foreshadow what The Monkey’s Paw’s true purpose really was. Another way that the authors use foreshadowing with the characters, is by making the main character suspicious of this random person that just popped out of nowhere. “He didn’t seem to like that question. His little ratty face went absolutely blank and he sat there staring straight ahead at the road, saying nothing,” (Dahl 1). That quote is meant to be significant because it foreshadows the hitchhiker being an actual pickpocket. These two short stories are common in terms of the foreshadowing, but contrast a lot on the mood.  

The Monkey’s Paw, and The Hitchhiker differ greatly in the moods they create for the reader. The mood in The Monkey’s Paw is explained in a dark and gloomy manor. The dark and gloomy mood of the story also makes the story a lot more serious not only what happens in it, but also the key themes and ending having more depth because of this factor. “The night was cold and wet, but in the small parlor of Laburnum Villa the blinds were drawn and the fire burned brightly,” (Jacobs 1).  The quote also adds to the dark and gloomy mood by showing how bad the weather is and the negative emotions through that quote. What makes The Hitchhiker different in terms of mood is by making it more happy and jockey, a little bit like a comedy.  The mood of the story also makes the ending of the story more like an actual good ending because the police officer no longer has the information about him since it was snagged by the hitchhiker. “I had a new car. It was an exciting new toy, a big BMW 3,3 Li, which means 3.3 Litre long wheel base, fuel injection. It had a top speed of 129 mph and a terrific acceleration,” (Dahl 1). The significance of that quote is to show how happy that guy is about his car, further emphasizing the happy mood of The Hitchhiker. The Monkey’s Paw, and The Hitchhiker are very different when it comes to the mood of these stories. 

The suspense and foreshadowing show excellent examples of similarities. Meanwhile the short stories are contrasted in terms of the mood. The suspense in both stories has the reader on the edge of their seat. Both stories show great foreshadowing by having the characters giving very subtle hints and not saying much at the beginning. The stories differ from each other in terms of the mood because The Monkey’s Paw is all dark. But The Hitchhiker is all happy. “A short story is a love affair; a novel is a marriage. A short story is a photograph; a novel is a film,” (Lorrie Moore).