The conflict between the rational and the irrational, is central to the power of.

             G Wells" story, "The Red Room" Discuss.

             The character of the narrator is important to the way the story works.

             Wells adopts the persona of a well educated, articulate young man who has.

             great confidence in the powers of his own rational thought. He views the.

             supernatural with great scepticism. His opening words are:.

             "I can assure you, that it will take a very tangible ghost to frighten me".

             This opening sentence, assures us that he feels that he is in control of his.

             thoughts and beliefs. He is saying that unless he can find a ghost that he.

             can actually touch, he is refusing to even consider any truths that the.

             supernatural may contain. He continues to say " eight and twenty years I .

             have lived and never a ghost have I seen as yet".

             He obviously believes that he is old and fairly worldly wise, and that if you.

             have not seen a ghost at the age of twenty eight, then they can"t possibly.

             exist.

             The three custodians of the castle are all physically grotesque, the.

             man with the withered arm, the man with the shade and the old woman. All.

             three of them are referred to using these names or phrases. I feel that by.

             calling them these names, it makes them all sound fairly ominous, as if they.

             are almost depersonalised, and so the sense of terror is increased. The man.

             with the withered arm keeps repeating over and over, "It"s your own.

             choosing". The old woman keeps saying, "this night of all nights". The man.

             with the shade says very little.

             The old woman does try to point out to him that in the twenty eight.

             years he has lived, it is unlikely that he has ever seen such a house, that.

             there are still many more things to see at such a young age. He replies by.

             saying, "If I see anything tonight, I shall be much wiser, for I come to the .

             business with an open mind.".

             This is an obvious lie, because he hasn"t come with an open mind.