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How Does Wilde Create Suspense In The Most Dangerous Game

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“This suspense is terrible. I hope it lasts” - Oscar Wilde. Suspense is a useful tool that authors use in their writing to create vivid images and bring the reader to their writing, it gives the reader emotion like in the quote Oscar Wilde wrote. In the short story “The Most Dangerous Game” Richard Connell uses many methods to develop suspense while Rainsford goes through an external battle with General Zaroff on an island. In the story Rainsford is swept to a mysterious island where he comes to conflict with General Zaroff, Rainsford finds himself fighting for his life in order to beat Zaroff. Richard Connell uses many methods to develop suspense in the story like introducing elements of dialogue and tone in order to make the reader anxious. …show more content…

In the beginning of the story we find out that Rainsford is on a yacht this seems like a relaxing tone but, it ends up adding to the suspense. When Connell starts the setting off at a yacht it seems like nothing bad is going to happen but, when Rainsford can not see “four yards” though “ a moonless Caribbean night,” things become ominous (Connell 1). It makes you visualize the image in your head which creates a suspenseful tone. The image causes the reader to become concerned about Rainsford’s life. Another description of a setting that causes a suspenseful tone is the island itself. The island is characterized by “jagged rocks,” and “cliffs,” and a “dense jungle” (Connell 3). These things alone create a moist and frightening tone because of their negative connotation. Even with the description of the island being dark, one structure on the island creates an eerie tone. When Rainsford safely made it to the island, “he forged along,” and he notices to, “his great astonishment that all the lights were in one enormous building--a lofty structure with pointed towers plunging upward into the gloom.” (Connell 3). On a massive island only one structure exists this creates a sinister tone. The reader becomes anxious and curious to find out what is inside this massive structure. Using meticulous details to describe the setting the author makes the reader feel

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