Gore and Suspense

When I think of a horror story, I think of blood and gore and suspense. First of all, in the various versions of Bluebeard, the wife or soon to be bride finds other women chopped up and bloody in a small, forbidden room. Also, in “The Robber Bridegroom” a woman’s finger is cut off and in “Mr. Fox” a woman’s entire hand is cut off because the cannibalistic future husband wants her ring. The horrific killing of the women gives the bride a reason to fear her husband and makes the audience fear for her safety. The suspense in the story enhances the audiences fear. However, since the reader is aware that the tales of Bluebeard are fairy tales and will end happily, the suspense is lessened. As Moriah mentions, the repetition in the story adds to the suspense. For example, in Thackeray’s “Bluebeard’s Ghost,” Fatima hears the voice of “Bluebeard” multiple times before seeing him outside her window. Once she sees him the reader becomes anxious and wants to find out if the ghost is real or not. Without the suspenseful aspects in the tale it would not be a horror story. The audience must fear for the safety of the protagonist and have proof, such as the dead women, that the protagonist is in danger.