Don T Ask Jack Figurative Language

The Tell- Tale heart by Edgar Allen Poe, Don’t Ask Jack written by Neil Gaiman and The sandman created by Paul Barry are all examples of gothic fiction. The purpose of Gothic fiction is to scare and intimidate the readers and it is characterised by dark themes and emotions. The Sandman is an animated film about a boy that loses his eyes to a supernatural creature called the Sandman. The Tell-tale heart is about the narrator who kills an old man but eventually confesses to the police. Don’t ask Jack is about a Jack in a box that tells children terrifying secrets.These texts employ similar elements, such as supernatural features, setting and stylistic techniques, to create a sinister and menacing mood for the reader.

The use of supernatural

In the “The Tell-Tale Heart” and “Don’t Ask Jack” they uses figurative language such as simile and metaphors. In “Don’t Ask Jack” the author describes Jack coming out of the box as “And then the child would touch the catch, and the lid would open, slow as a sunset, and the music would begin to play, and Jack came out” this is a simile and it creates a sinister and menacing mood. This is sinister and menacing as a sunset does the opposite of how a regular Jack in the box would go. Similarly, in “The Tell-Tale Heart” the narrator describes the light of a lantern as “like the thread of the spider”. This is also builds a sinister and menacing mood as it creates a negative connotation because of the spider as everyone hates spiders and has a scary feel. During the Sandman the lighting and contrast in the rooms were pitch black, however outside lighting stuck every time he was hurting and taunting the child. As evidence clearly shows all three text share similar stylistic techniques in creating a sinister and menacing