1984 Suspense Essay

Watch your back, because big brother is watching! George Orwell’s 1984 is full of shocking plot twists, revelations, and suspenseful scenarios – which Orwell captures effectively. In this excerpt of the novel, Orwell creates suspense in order to introduce a shocking turn of events. He does this through his use of imagery, by setting the mood, and through his syntax.

Orwell uses vivid and descriptive imagery to create suspense in this excerpt. For instance, Orwell wrote that Winston “could see the white all round the irises of Julia’s eyes” and that “her face had turned a milky yellow.” In addition, he included that “the smear of rouge that was still on each [of Julia’s] cheekbone[s] stood out sharply, almost as though unconnected with the skin beneath.” The use of phrases such as “the white all around,” “milky yellow,” and “smear of rogue” creates a vivid image in the reader’s mind. Consequently, this creates suspense because the reader is able to envision how afraid Julia was. Furthermore, Orwell writes that “There was a sound of trampling boots below, inside the house and outside.” The reader is able to imagine the sound of sound of boots running into the house, which gives the

To be more specific, Orwell’s syntax shifts from long and descriptive, to short and plain when introducing the television’s dialogue: “Remain exactly where you are. Make no movement until you are ordered.” This, in turn, creates suspense because of how the voice seems to “snap” at Winston and Julia. This lets the reader know that the voice means serious business. In addition, the television commands Winston and Julia to “stand out in the middle of the room. Stand back to back. Clasp your hands behind your heads. Do not touch one another.” Once again the voice snaps at the two in a very commanding way, which is portrayed through the short syntax. As a result, this suspense as it allows the reader to understand the seriousness of the