Structure

The plot in “The Signal-Man” by Charles Dickens follows a very simple narrative plot which can be summarised as follows:

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Title

The title of the short story – “The Signal-Man” – only announces about whom the events are about, a signal-man working for the railway.

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Beginning

The story begins in media res or in the middle of events. There is no introduction to the characters and their background in the beginning. This technique is a particular way of hooking the readers’ attention by first starting with the action and then offering some background information about the characters and the setting:

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Middle

The middle of the short story is mostly comprised of the conversations between the narrator and the signal-man. The confessions of the signal-man become points of tension in the short story as he talks about a ghostly apparition which seems to haunt him and warn him about bad things which are to happen.

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Ending

The falling action details the circumstances of the death of the signal-man, who was hit by the train even if the conductor tried warning him.

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