In the story ‘The Landlady’ Dahl keeps the reader interested by using a range of techniques. This essay will focus on the use of his language, setting, characters and foreshadowing.
Dahl wrights the story about a gullible, young boy named Billy Weaver who stays at an unusual Bed and Breakfast run a mysterious old lady that that welcomes him only to drug him and stuff him for her collection.
Dahl builds tension by describing the setting in detail. He gives the reader a picture of what the scene would look like and sets a daunting atmosphere from the very start of the story. You know it is nighttime as Dahl mentions that the moon was coming up out of the clear sky and it makes the reader want to read on because nighttime represents evil and you feel that something horrific will happen from the mood Dahl has created.
When Billy Weaver catches sight of the Bed and Breakfast he sees a bright fire burning in the hearth, pleasant furniture, and a pretty little dachshund through the window, this almost tells the reader that something has to be wrong, because it is too good to be true.
Also, the street on which the Bed and Breakfast is found on is wide, with no shops and only a tall line of houses on each side. This sets a chilling feel, and it makes the Bed and Breakfast seem out of place.
The language used in the story is very effective, and keeps the reader interested from the very beginning. Dahl uses words such as ‘blade’ and ‘deadly cold’ to describe the weather, and also uses a wide range of vocabulary to describe the setting and characters. Dahl also uses repetition of words. ‘BED AND BREAKFAST, BED AND BREAKFAST’ This is used to build suspense and tension.
In this story Dahl has created two characters. Billy Weaver and the landlady. Billy Weaver is a gullible, young boy who has just been sent to work for his company in Bath. He looks up to the big shots up at