Performance Assessment Essay Suspense; Suspense is the intense feeling that an audience goes through while waiting for the outcome of certain events. It basically leaves the reader holding their breath and wanting more information. The amount of intensity in a suspenseful moment is why it is hard to put a book down. Without suspense, a reader would lose interest quickly in any story because there is nothing that is making the reader ask, “What’s going to happen next?” In writing, there has to be a series of events that leads to a climax that captivates the audience and makes them tense and anxious to know what is going to happen. And Suspense, is what “August heat” primarily uses to keep its story so invigorating. The first element of “August …show more content…
It was extremely heavy and sometimes obvious with the amount of foreshadowing. It starts on the first lines of the story. “Penistone Road, Clapham, 20th August, 19-” (Harvey 385). The year being missing gives a clue to a major point later in the story. With good analytical skills, the reader can (correctly) assume that the end of the story will be the narrator writing about himself writing the story. The narrator most likely did not include the year because he wanted the reader to figure out that it was not supposed to be a year, but another date. The way the story is told is like a diary entry. The missing date at the end helps the reader determine the end for himself. In the end it is suggested that the character dies. However if the character does die, he does it after the story ends. This piece of foreshadowing shows that the narrator most likely dies. The story was finished being wrote close to midnight. If the character did in fact live, he would have made it to the next day and the date for the next day would have been written. Since the date is not there, the reader can assume that the character died, which fills in the missing pieces that the narrator leaves the reader to figure out. The foreshadowing continues on the same page. The main character, Withencroft draws a sketch depicting a criminal, who he meets later that day. Three pages later comes the next case of foreshadowing. The criminal that …show more content…
The use of first person narration limits the reader to the perspective of Withencroft, so the reader only knows as much as he does. The narration also allows the reader to know Withencroft’s feelings. “A sudden impulse made me enter” (Harvey 385), moments such as that in the story show Withencroft’s feelings. This expands the reader 's knowledge of the story, because the actions of the narrator are explained. In the previous quote, the inside knowledge on the character lets the reader know why the character went inside. This, again, expands the understanding of the story. The limited view and Withencroft’s feelings create a shady view in the story. “Then a cold shudder ran down my spine.” This is another sentence that seems simple. It is, yet it adds to the story. By including small details like this, the author not only broadened the reader 's knowledge of the story, but made it more enjoyable. The first person point of view also helped the story more personal to the reader. This made the story more enjoyable, because at the end of the story the feeling of suspense is greater, and the reader was hoping that the main character would not be killed. The first person view gave the reader more comprehension of the story, made it more enjoyable, broadened their knowledge on the story and let the reader connect and feel closer to the
Even though some suspense doesn’t let the audience know anything, real suspense involves the audience being aware of everything that occurs. In the essay, it states, “The fact that the audience watches actors go blithely through an atmosphere that is loaded with evil makes for real suspense.” (6) This shows that whenever the audience watches the characters don't know anything that’s going on
In The Hot Zone by Richard Preston, the account of the evolution of Ebola—where it originated and how it spread throughout Africa and other parts of the world before finally making its way to the United States—the point of view was not biased or fallacious, though it may have been slightly exaggerated. However, despite this, it was also the perfect choice of point of view to tell the story in.
2. The author creates tone, which changes from peaceful and calm to horror. Words in the story like humorlessly and awkwardly help the reader feel the tension in the town. In the story, “She held her breath while her husband went forward” proved that the characters was dealing with ...
In last resource that the author used to create suspense was foreshadowing. Foreshadowing was used because at the end of the story Mr.Atkinson began to sharpen his knives late night while James was writing down of what happened to him that day. Does that seem that Mrs.Atkinson wanted to kill James. For me thats weird.” The leg is cracked, and Atkinson, who seems handy man with his tools, is going to mend it as soon as he has finished putting an edge on his chisel.” I choose this quote for the reason that explains what Atkinson was doing at the time when everything was going
Josh Pachter’s “Invitation to a Murder” uses passage of time, inference gaps, and foreshadowing to add suspense. Dramatic irony, inference gaps and red herrings create suspense in “Lamb to the Slaughter” by Roald Dahl. “The Adventure of the Speckled Band” by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle uses mystery elements of many possible suspects, accumulation of clues and hidden evidence as catalysts for suspense. All three authors cleverly created anticipation in their work with mystery elements that kept the potential to hold captive their reader’s attention until the very last
In John Irving's novel titled, A Prayer for Owen Meany, suspenseful events are of abundance, and there are multiple ways the author creates this suspense. Among these methods of creating suspense, four that stand out are the use of setting, the pace of the story, the involvement of mysteries to be solved, and the ability of the reader to easily identify and sympathize with the protagonist. By placing a character in a gloomy or solitary place, uncomfortable feelings are created, which append to the suspense. Pace and structure of the story also play into the foundation of suspense, as shorter sentences and stronger, more cutting verbs and adjectives are often used to keep the reader highly interested and reading at a rapid speed. Of course, suspense could not be considered what it is if there were no mystery involved. The element of not knowing what is in store for the future and having the urge to find out is the essence of suspense. Also, if the reader cannot easily relate to and sympathize with the character in the suspenseful situation, a loss of interest can arise, and therefore spoil the spirit of the tension. Uncomfortable settings, pace and structure, use of mysteries, and capability to relate to the main character are four techniques that John Irving uses to create suspense.
Everyone at one point has been captivated and intrigued by the plot of a movie or a book. This captivation is generated by the one tool that authors and directors love the most, suspense. Authors want their audience and readers of their writing to be enthralled by creating tension and thrill in their plot. The usage of style, characterization, point of view, and foreshadowing allows authors and directors to create suspense in their work. Suspense is a very difficult approach to master but with the correct tools it can be as simple as a walk through the park.
Suspense is the build up of anxiety or excitement in a story. It is an incredibly useful literary element. People like to read suspenseful stories, and/or watch suspenseful shows and movies because suspense gets their hearts racing. Suspense in movies and books might keep the audience intrigued and make them wonder what will happen next. People also like suspense because they might like trying to figure out what will happen on their own. This will keep the audience intrigued because they want to know how close they were to the exact answer. There are many stories that display suspense and many different authors who wrote them. One book that used suspense was Cujo, by Stephen King. Cujo was a dog that was bitten by a bat. He then turns into
What the author is doing is letting the reader foreshadow. A technique which creates suspense, a vital element in any action story. The author then explained what was being hinted at;
Characters getting the "first-person" treatment are not just means to an end either, as they are fully developed and intrigue the reader to care about them, adding yet another layer to the larger story.
In the Heat of the Night takes place during the civil rights movement. Chief Gillespie in conjunction with the racist residents of Sparta, do not welcome outsiders, especially not a black man, which is obvious upon Virgil Tibbs unjust arrest at the train station. Gillespie appears as a corrupt, prejudiced, and narrow-minded police chief, yet he and Virgil continue working collectively to solve Colbert’s murder. Chief Gillespie appears to experience self-isolation and loneliness which he expresses in the scene in his house with Virgil. For example, Gillespie asks Tibbs if he has a family or if he is or has been married. Chief Gillespie reacts to Tibbs’ responses as a consolation of pity, yet they similarly share a common bond of employment
The fragment we were given is a three paragraph narration that has longer sentences at the beginning and little by little begins shortening them until by the final paragraph they are very short. The long sentences being used to slow down the time that will be very important in the passage and hence to build up the suspense and tension in the ambience until the sentences become short and speed up the time in the story, building the tension more and more to a point where it seems like something is coming or something will occur. The story is also told by a protagonist narrator which we know thanks to the use of the first person and the direct access to the character’s mind along with his feelings and thoughts. This narrator is retelling us the story (“I have naturally no wish to enlarge on this phase of my story. (…) I would have passed it over if I didn’t think that some account of it was necessary for a full understanding of what follows”[line 19-20]) of his trip over to Ransom’s house, a path which will trigger his paranoia and fear. The style of the writing is very direct as the narrator is practically in a one-sided dialogue with his readers.
Having Christopher narrating the book in first person is important because it is easier for the reader to understand his written account of the murder of Mr. and Mrs. Sheers dog (Wellington); A step by step investigation is projected and shown to the reader when narrated in first person.
Reading a novel is an active experience. Opinions are formed and changed during the course of a plot. Not knowing what is going to happen next, or what is lurking around the corner, can provide the same sort of fear in a novel that is present in a scary movie. Brown's use of first person narration may have exposed some bad judgement in the characters, especially Clara. Her ever-changing views and assessments of Carwin, however, play a large part in maintaining the suspense of the story. It is the use of first person narration that allows us to see Clara's judgement of Carwin for what it is, without the help of an omniscient narrator. As a result, the story is able to capture our attention and instill us with fear.
This novel is told from the first person point of view. George Walton begins narrating the story through his letter to his sister. After he rescues Victor from the ice and nurses him back to health, Victor begins to tell Walton his tale. As the story begins the perspective shifts from Walton's to Victor's point of view while still being told in first person. The first person narration really helps give the reader insight into the true state of the main character's mind, and it is indeed a dark place.