Techniques That Create Narrative Tension in "The Werewolf" Angela Carter 12th Grade

‘The Werewolf’ is a short fiction belonging to a collection of stories entitled ‘The Bloody Chamber’. Written by Angela Carter, ‘The werewolf’ is spin-off of the famous fable ‘Little Red Riding Hood’ depicting a scene between three characters: The girl, the grandmother and the werewolf. In this extract, the girl is sent out by her mother to bring some oatcakes to her sick grandmother. Through a prosaic form, Carter explores and develops the themes of tension and unease through a descriptive passage and a symbolistic word choice. Finally, Angela Carter pursues the theme of perception versus reality with a metaphorical image.

This narrative introduces with a description and the setting of the spatiotemporal frame. The stylistic features of the sentences represent an attempt by the author to create a form of tension designed to impact the reader. For example the opening phrase: ‘It is a northern country; they have cold weather, they have cold hearts’ sets the scenery. The repetition of the words ‘they have cold’ convey two different meanings but convey a similar image. The first representing the weather refers to the temperature but implies a negative perception as it characterizes a rough and uncomfortable weather. Subsequently,...