How Does Kate Chopin Build Suspense In The Locket

The story the locket by Kate Chopin has a plot twist. The point of the plot twist is to keep the reader guessing and interested. In the story, Edmond was thought to be dead with the letter that was sent to Octavius that described his death. The reader is led to believe he is dead until the very end.

This story is set during the Civil War. Edmond and other soldiers are sitting by the camp fire talking about home. Eventually they fall asleep. They wake up in the middle of a battle. Chopin does not tell us what happens in the battle. We only see Octavius reading a letter about Edmond's death. By not telling the reader about the battle, Chopin starts to build suspense.

Edmond's death was what was thought to be true considering Octavius received

a letter letting her know that he was dead. So she went to where they were supposed to be married, and there was Edmond waiting. So the plot twist is that Edmond wasn't actually dead. The reader would've been expected to be sad throughout the story because this was not your ideal story book ending. With Edmond turning out to actually be alive and be standing where they're supposed to be getting married, the readers emotion does a 180.

I was surprised, cause like Octavius, I thought Edmond was dead also. The letter describing Edmonds death kept me suspencful about the ending of the story. Throughout the story Edmonds death was sad and made this story seem not to be like every other romantic love story ending. Edmond being at where they were expected to be married really changed my entire thought about the book. I expected him to actually be dead, but it was not true.

In Conclusion The Locket is a story where tragedy is false to keep the reader engaged and thinking about the possibilities of the ending. I was shocked like most would be cause of Edmond not being dead. Edmond still being alive made me shocked because of how the story went. I was not expecting the ending I read.