How is Tension built up in “The Monkey’s Paw” and “The Red Room”? The success of any short story depends upon the skill with which the plot moves. The writer does not have the time to develop ideas that he has in a novel but at the same time all those elements must be present. The unusual element in “The Monkey’s Paw” is how much the plot depends upon coincidence and irony. The …showed first 75 words of 700 total…

…showed last 75 words of 700 total…as follows: “vigil, begun, hid, dying, fallen headlong down the steps, ghostly tradition, older stories, clung, timid, tragic end, frightening, sombre, shadowy window, black, peering, secret opining, unexpected, shiver … etc. These words all create a sort of mystery along with tension. I think the most effective way this story creates tension is by making things like shadows have a ghostly feel to them. The effectiveness of this story is created by how the plot moves.