Who Is The Narrator In The Red Room

In, “The Red room,” by H.G. Wells, we get a snapshot of a nameless narrator about to enter an ominous room, antagonized by three mysterious ghost-like characters. The prose here does not include the entire story, but even this small snippet shows Wells uses distinct literary techniques such as imagery to characterize the narrator, as well as the other characters. We are only introduced to a few characters, but in the short time we see them we get an ominous sense about them, even though there is no context given as to who they are or why they are there. The author/narrator states, “I put down my empty glass on the table and looked about the room, and caught a glimpse of myself, abbreviated and broadened to an impossible sturdiness, in the queer old mirror at the end of the room.” This description that the narrator gives himself gives the reader not only a glimpse at the narrator physically, but how also he is feeling about being where he is. Because of the imagery given, the reader can tell that the narrator is confident, and ready for whatever is about to happen. Imagery is one of the most prominent techniques used to characterize the narrator in this story.

Wells has the other characters use this technique to characterize the narrator as well. The old woman says to the narrator, “’There's a many things to see, when one's still but eight-and-twenty.’ She swayed her head slowly from side to side. ‘A many things to see and sorrow for.’" This ominous statement gives off the impression that there is an underlying, deeper meaning to what she is saying. The narrator responds with, “I half suspected the old people were trying to enhance the spiritual terrors of their house by their droning insistence.” His response only supports confident he is, and even the ominously suspicious attitudes of the people around him don’t seem to jostle his