I must keep to my post, however. I must watch this ghastly countenance—these blue, still lips forbidden to unclose—these eyes now shut, now opening, now wandering through the room, now fixing on me, and ever glazed with the dulness of horror. I must dip my hand again and again in the basin of blood and water, and wipe away the trickling gore. I must see the light of the unsnuffed candle wane on my employment; the shadows darken on the wrought, antique tapestry round me, and grow black under the hangings of the vast old bed, and quiver strangely over the doors of a great cabinet opposite—whose front, divided into twelve panels, bore, in grim design, the heads of the twelve apostles, each enclosed in its separate panel as in a frame; while above them at the top rose an ebon crucifix and a dying Christ. According as the shifting obscurity and flickering gleam hovered here or glanced there, it was now the bearded physician, Luke, that bent his brow; now St. John’s long hair that waved; and anon the devilish face of Judas, that grew out of the panel, and seemed gathering life and threatening a revelation of the arch-traitor—of Satan himself—in his subordinate’s form. Amidst all this, I had to listen as well as watch: to listen for the movements of the wild beast or the fiend in yonder side den. But since Mr. Rochester’s visit it seemed spellbound: all the night I heard but three sounds at three long intervals,—a step creak, a momentary renewal of the snarling, canine noise, and a deep human groan
where is tension in this? explain each one
There are several moments of tension in this passage:
1) The tension is evident in the description of the countenance of the person being observed. The "ghastly countenance" with "blue, still lips forbidden to unclose" creates a sense of unease and foreboding.
2) The tension is heightened by the act of repeatedly dipping the hand in the basin of blood and water and wiping away the gore. This suggests a disturbing and macabre task that the narrator must undertake.
3) The mention of the unsnuffed candle waning and shadows darkening adds to the overall eerie atmosphere, hinting at a sense of impending danger or darkness.
4) The description of the tapestry with its grim designs of the apostles, along with the ebon crucifix and dying Christ, intensifies the tension by evoking themes of religion, death, and possible demonic presence.
5) The shifting obscurity and flickering gleam that reveal different images in the panels of the cabinet, including the devilish face of Judas, creates a sense of suspense and the unknown.
6) The mention of listening for the movements of a wild beast or fiend further heightens the tension by suggesting the presence of something dangerous or threatening nearby.
7) The limited number of sounds heard throughout the night, particularly the deep human groan, adds to the suspense and suggests that something ominous is occurring or about to happen.
Overall, the combination of these elements creates a feeling of dread and anticipation, keeping the reader on edge and engrossed in the eerie atmosphere of the scene.
I must keep to my post, however. I must watch this ghastly countenance—these blue, still lips forbidden to unclose—these eyes now shut, now opening, now wandering through the room, now fixing on me, and ever glazed with the dulness of horror. I must dip my hand again and again in the basin of blood and water, and wipe away the trickling gore. I must see the light of the unsnuffed candle wane on my employment; the shadows darken on the wrought, antique tapestry round me, and grow black under the hangings of the vast old bed, and quiver strangely over the doors of a great cabinet opposite—whose front, divided into twelve panels, bore, in grim design, the heads of the twelve apostles, each enclosed in its separate panel as in a frame; while above them at the top rose an ebon crucifix and a dying Christ. According as the shifting obscurity and flickering gleam hovered here or glanced there, it was now the bearded physician, Luke, that bent his brow; now St. John’s long hair that waved; and anon the devilish face of Judas, that grew out of the panel, and seemed gathering life and threatening a revelation of the arch-traitor—of Satan himself—in his subordinate’s form. Amidst all this, I had to listen as well as watch: to listen for the movements of the wild beast or the fiend in yonder side den. But since Mr. Rochester’s visit it seemed spellbound: all the night I heard but three sounds at three long intervals,—a step creak, a momentary renewal of the snarling, canine noise, and a deep human groan
where is tension in this?
The tension in this passage can be identified in several aspects:
1) The narrator's description of the ghastly countenance with blue, still lips and glazed eyes creates a sense of horror and unease, evoking a feeling of dread.
2) The act of repeatedly dipping the hand in the basin of blood and water and wiping away the trickling gore suggests a disturbing and unsettling task, adding to the tension.
3) The mention of the unsnuffed candle waning and the shadows darkening around the room creates a foreboding atmosphere and heightens the sense of impending danger.
4) The description of the tapestry with the heads of the twelve apostles enclosed in separate panels, along with the ebon crucifix and dying Christ, adds a religious and supernatural element to the tension, hinting at the presence of evil forces.
5) The shifting obscurity and flickering gleam that reveal different images in the panels of the cabinet, including the devilish face of Judas, contribute to the atmosphere of suspense and mystery, suggesting that something ominous is lurking.
6) The narrator's need to listen for the movements of a wild beast or fiend in the nearby side den further amplifies the tension, creating a sense of danger and uncertainty.
7) The limited number of sounds heard throughout the night, including the step creak, the snarling noise, and the deep human groan, indicate that something disturbing or threatening is happening, adding to the overall tension.
Through these unsettling elements, the passage creates a pervasive atmosphere of tension and suspense, keeping the reader engaged and anticipating what will happen next.
where is tension in here:
I must keep to my post, however. I must watch this ghastly countenance—these blue, still lips forbidden to unclose—these eyes now shut, now opening, now wandering through the room, now fixing on me, and ever glazed with the dulness of horror. I must dip my hand again and again in the basin of blood and water, and wipe away the trickling gore. I must see the light of the unsnuffed candle wane on my employment; the shadows darken on the wrought, antique tapestry round me, and grow black under the hangings of the vast old bed, and quiver strangely over the doors of a great cabinet opposite—whose front, divided into twelve panels, bore, in grim design, the heads of the twelve apostles, each enclosed in its separate panel as in a frame; while above them at the top rose an ebon crucifix and a dying Christ. According as the shifting obscurity and flickering gleam hovered here or glanced there, it was now the bearded physician, Luke, that bent his brow; now St. John’s long hair that waved; and anon the devilish face of Judas, that grew out of the panel, and seemed gathering life and threatening a revelation of the arch-traitor—of Satan himself—in his subordinate’s form. Amidst all this, I had to listen as well as watch: to listen for the movements of the wild beast or the fiend in yonder side den. But since Mr. Rochester’s visit it seemed spellbound: all the night I heard but three sounds at three long intervals,—a step creak, a momentary renewal of the snarling, canine noise, and a deep human groan
The tension in this passage can be identified in several places:
1) The description of the ghastly countenance with blue, still lips and glazed eyes creates a sense of horror and unease, generating tension.
2) The act of continually dipping the hand in the basin of blood and water and wiping away the trickling gore adds to the tension by emphasizing the disturbing and unsettling nature of the task.
3) The mention of the unsnuffed candle waning and the shadows darkening around the room creates a foreboding atmosphere and heightens the sense of impending danger.
4) The description of the tapestry with the heads of the twelve apostles, along with the ebon crucifix and dying Christ, introduces religious and supernatural elements that contribute to the tension and suggest the presence of evil forces.
5) The shifting obscurity and flickering gleam that reveal different images in the panels of the cabinet, including the face of Judas, add to the atmosphere of suspense and mystery, creating tension as the reader wonders what these visions might portend.
6) The narrator's need to listen for the movements of a wild beast or fiend in the nearby side den enhances the tension, creating a sense of danger and uncertainty.
7) The limited number of sounds heard throughout the night, including the step creak, the snarling noise, and the deep human groan, indicates that something disturbing or threatening is happening, adding to the overall tension and suspense.
Overall, these descriptions and events combine to create a sense of tension and unease, keeping the reader engaged and anticipating what will happen next.
use quotes and explain hem
"I must watch this ghastly countenance—these blue, still lips forbidden to unclose—these eyes now shut, now opening, now wandering through the room, now fixing on me, and ever glazed with the dulness of horror."
This quote emphasizes the tension through its description of the ghastly countenance. The repetition of the word "now" creates a sense of unpredictability and unease as the eyes and lips continue to move and shift, fixating on the narrator. The phrase "glazed with the dulness of horror" adds to the feeling of dread and suggests the unsettling nature of the presence being observed.
"I must dip my hand again and again in the basin of blood and water, and wipe away the trickling gore."
This quote highlights the tension through the disturbing and macabre task of dipping the hand in the basin of blood and water. The repetition of the phrase "again and again" reinforces the unsettling nature of the action, adding to the sense of unease and tension.
"I must see the light of the unsnuffed candle wane on my employment; the shadows darken on the wrought, antique tapestry round me, and grow black under the hangings of the vast old bed."
This quote creates tension through the atmospheric description of the waning candlelight and the darkening shadows. The word "wane" suggests a decrease in light, while the use of words like "darken" and "black" convey a sense of encroaching darkness and foreboding, heightening the tension in the scene.
"But since Mr. Rochester’s visit, it seemed spellbound: all the night I heard but three sounds at three long intervals,—a step creak, a momentary renewal of the snarling, canine noise, and a deep human groan."
This quote adds to the tension through the mysterious and infrequent sounds heard during the night. The phrase "but three sounds at three long intervals" emphasizes the scarcity and unexpectedness of these sounds, creating a sense of anticipation and suspense. The inclusion of a step creak, snarling noise, and deep human groan further heightens the tension by suggesting the presence of unknown and possibly ominous entities or occurrences.