Strange noises, eerie strangers, and phantasms are things that often pull an audience into a suspenseful story. In Lucille Fletcher’s “The Hitchhiker” a man is driving from his home in Brooklyn to the west coast. Along the way he continues to see a man who makes him nervous. Eventually, this vision makes him question his sanity. “The Hitchhiker” is a good story because of the elements of plot. First off, Fletcher begins her good play through the exposition and rising action. She starts the exposition by having the main character, Ronald Adams, address the audience and tell them that he is not insane. Adams says, “I am not mad now.” (Hitchhiker 1001) Why would Adams need to say he’s not mad. Would a sane person have to press the issue the he/she …show more content…
The evidence states, “I had a feeling that if only I could speak to someone familiar, someone I loved, I could pull myself together.” (Hitchhiker 1010) He calls his mother only to have another woman answer the phone. Her name was Mrs. Whitney. She answered the phone and breaks the bad news to him. He repeatedly tells her he is her son, he is Adams, but she seemed to ignore him when he was giving that information. She tells him that his mother is in the hospital. She also tells him it because the death of her oldest son. He was the oldest son. The evidence states also states, “It’s all taken place since the death of her oldest son, Ronald.” (Hitchhiker 1011) He found out he was dead through those words. Adams repeats what Mrs. Whitney say in shock by saying, “The death of her oldest son, Ronald…? Hey-what is this? What number is this?” (Hitchhiker 1011) Climax would be correct for this. The stories suspicion and action reached its highest …show more content…
The fall from climax in my eyes, happens when the operator tells Adams his three minutes are up. I say this because it created a disturbance in his conversation that cuts him of and realizes where he is in life. The operator say, “Your three minutes are up, sir.” (Hitchhiker 1011) I think he accepts that he is dead. When he takes a moment to start thinking. Adams states, “I am trying to think. I am trying to get hold of myself. Otherwise I shall go mad…” (Hitchhiker 1011) You wonder, why would that be falling action? It’s falling action because he hasn’t mentioned anything else about his mother being in the hospital nor did he bring up his death. My last Example for falling action would be that Adams knows he will see the man again and find out who he is. He also hopes to find himself. Adams states, “Somewhere among them, he is waiting for me. Somewhere I shall know who he is, and who...I...am....” (Hitchhiker 1011) Everything is settled down. Even though this could have been another rising action into more
Lucille Fletcher’s character, Ronald Adams, a thirty-six year old man from Brooklyn, New York, heading down route sixty-six to California. In the beginning of the story trying to convince his readers that he is sane. “All this I know. I know that I am, at the moment, perfectly sane (1001)”. Ronald then sees a hitchhiker, “leaning against
In the following novel, “The Soloist” by Steve Lopez. The author captures the reader’s interest quickly by the first paragraph. Lopez talks about this mysterious man he encounters on the street, but ends up losing him the minute he looks away. Lopez also teaches his readers that to not judge a book by its cover, because it may surprise the reader of the story it has within.
The main character says, “Look under the seat for my flashlight, boy” (Pancake 87). The narrator then notes, “He bends forward, grabbing under the seat, and his head is turned for me. But I am way too tired now, and I don’t want to clean the seat” (Pancake 87). From the context you can observe that he starts his process in killing the hitchhiker but decides against it. As he has gotten to know the hitchhiker throughout the ride he sees that he no longer wants to kill him. Then, the main character comments, “He hops to the ground, and I watch him walking backward, thumbing” (Pancake 87-88). You can conclude that he finally comes to the realization that these hitchhikers deserve to live despite his recent losses. In sum, this is the major turning point in the story because this is when he finally overcomes his obsession of murdering the
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.
Robbins reflects that everything is interrelated, and how our societies denial of that fact is damaging. Julian displays the Western mentality of a free rider, when defining hitch hiking: "Hitchhiking is parasitic, no more than a reckless panhandling, as far as I can see. "(Cowgirls 45). Similarly, Sissy lives her life constantly focused on finding the next driver who will pick her up. She is consistently engaged with the rhythm of people on the move, but all Julian recognizes is that she is not a contributing part of the whole.
Elaine Tyler May's Homeward Bound weaves two traditional narratives of the fifties -- suburban domesticity and rampant anticommunism -- into one compelling historical argument. Aiming to ascertain why, unlike both their parents and children, postwar Americans turned to marriage and parenthood with such enthusiasm and commitment, May discovers that cold war ideology and the domestic revival [were] two sides of the same coin: postwar Americans' intense need to feel liberated from the past and secure in the future. (May, p. 5-6, 10) According to May, "domestic containment" was an outgrowth of the fears and aspirations unleashed after the war -- Within the home, potentially dangerous social forces of the new age might be tamed, where they could contribute to the secure and fulfilling life to which postwar women and men aspired.(May, p. 14) Moreover, the therapeutic emphases of fifties psychologists and intellectuals offered private and personal solutions to social problems. The family was the arena in which that adaptation was expected to occur; the home was the environment in which people could feel good about themselves. In this way, domestic containment and its therapeutic corollary undermined the potential for political activism and reinforced the chilling effects of anticommunism and the cold war consensus.(May, p.14)
Rear Window effectively demonstrates Hitchcock’s strong qualities as an author. The writer for Rear Window is not Hitchcock, and yet there are clearly many motifs and themes present which are well known for being used by Hitchcock. He is not merely following instructions on how to make the movie; he is providing his own creative adjustments. Now we will address a few of these from the film. First, drawing parallels between characters with a difference, usually a negative one, is a repeated concept in Hitchcock films.
Last but not least, O’Connor confirms that even a short story is a multi-layer compound that on the surface may deter even the most enthusiastic reader, but when handled with more care, it conveys universal truths by means of straightforward or violent situations. She herself wished her message to appeal to the readers who, if careful enough, “(…)will come to see it as something more than an account of a family murdered on the way to Florida.”
Alfred Hitchcock’s 1954 film Rear Window is truly a masterpiece, as it uses fascinating cinematic elements to carry the story and also convey the meaning of voyeurism. Throughout the film we are in one room, yet that does not limit the story. This causes the viewer to feel trapped, similar to the main character, while also adding suspense to the detective story. The opening scene itself, draws the viewer in. In just five minutes and 27 shots, the viewer is given an introduction to the main character, his lifestyle, his condition, and his neighborhood. The lighting, the costumes, and the set are all presented in a way to catch the viewers eye, compelling them to crave more. Combining vivid lighting, edgy cinematography, and unique set design, Rear Window, proves why Hitchcock is still remembered as one of the greatest and most influential directors of all time.
“I didn’t see—anybody. There wasn’t nothing, but a bunch of steers—and the barbed wire fence.” (94) His desperation and loneliness overpowering all, Adams takes up his initial idea of running down the hitchhiker, but his momentary traveling companion does not see the victim, claiming he was never there. Now in Albuquerque, New Mexico, the hitchhiker doesn’t wait for Adams to make a stop before appearing; his form and face flit by every other mile. (96) Learning of his mother’s prostration and the death of Ronald Adams, the protagonist leaves the audience with his last thought: Somewhere among them, he is waiting for me. Somewhere I shall know who he is, and who . . . I . . . am . . .” (97) Alone, without the willpower to fight for survival, the main character fades into a mist of doubt and helplessness.
Alfred Hitchcock’s Vertigo is a thrilling film filled with mystery and suspense. However, Hitchcock left many unsolved issues at the end of this film. In contrast, when comparing Vertigo to more recent films of similar genre’, mysteries are usually always solved and thoroughly explained by the end of the film. Ironically, Hitchcock’s failure to explain everything to the audience in Vertigo is one of the film’s best attributes. This lack of knowledge allows the viewer to use their own imagination and speculate as to what might or might not have become of certain characters.
As the paradigm in which this curiosity is exposed inhabit the human being, that voyeurism that uncounted of us have inside. Hitchcock is able to use this element to catch the spectator, building a devilish and fascinating tale of suspense set in a microcosm. In which there reflects the intimate and daily life of the current man, where the protagonist observes from his window. The viewer sees what Jeff (the protagonist) observes, has the sensation of being the protagonist, observing through his window.
Suspense is a 1913 film that portrays the story of a tramp intruding into a family’s home, where a mother takes care of her child while her husband is away. The plot is a common one that had been used previous times before the film’s release, such as in The Lonely Villa (1909). However, through taking advantage of the single frame shot, the filmmakers were able to create a masterful aesthetic of two separate stories that turn a basic plot into a complex story. The film created an inventive way of illustrating stories within cinema by allowing the audience the chance to consume more narrative in less time within just one take.
Alfred Hitchcock's Vertigo is a film which functions on multiple levels simultaneously. On a literal level it is a mystery-suspense story of a man hoodwinked into acting as an accomplice in a murder, his discovery of the hoax, and the unraveling of the threads of the murder plot. On a psychological level the film traces the twisted, circuitous routes of a psyche burdened down with guilt, desperately searching for an object on which to concentrate its repressed energy. Finally, on an allegorical or figurative level, it is a retelling of the immemorial tale of a man who has lost his love to death and in hope of redeeming her descends into the underworld.
They are relaxed to see a car stop for them to give them a ride to their destination, until they soon realize the person driving was an escaped convict named "The Misfit. " The convicts partners began taking the family into the woods one by one to assonate them, the grandmother starts to beg for her life even though s... ... middle of paper ... ... als these events within their novels. Sometimes leaving the reader scared, frightened or mysterious.