“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
Suspense is defined as the author withholding information or when the unexpected happens, leaving you guessing and wanting more. In the story “The Most Dangerous Game” by Richard Connell, he has inserted much suspense in this short (long) story, for the reason that it makes the reader want to know more and having to mindset of excitement or surprise. Another reason he added many suspense is so that it wouldn’t be so blunt, it wouldn’t just tell us what happened it would give us details and how he got or how he did that and more.
Suspense is also an important part of a story. If there is no suspense in the story, the reader wont want to keep reading your story, they’ll say it’s boring. Suspense keeps this from happening. You make the story exciting so the reader can continue reading. In the story the suspense is that Rainsford is trapped on an island with nowhere out and Zaroff is coming to get him! The author needs to have suspense to keep readers
In both the excerpts "Jams" and "Swimming with Nightmares" by Peter Benchley, the author creates suspense in many ways. The author utilizes descriptive words, character's choices, and dangerous situations for creating suspense.
Suspense is a detail that many horror writer use to catch the attention of many readers and keep them holding on till the end. Just as W.F. Harvey does when creating suspense in his story August Heat. Mr. Harvey used three methods to create his suspense for his story, foreshadowing, withholding information, and reversal. With these three methods he is able to make the reader feel like, “ We may even hold our breath without realizing it as we read on eagerly to find out how the story ends”(Source 1).
Mood is an important element in all stories, because it decides how the reader feels for the rest of the story. There are different ways for an author to create mood, some of which impact first impressions like characterization and foreshadowing, but some take place in the moment like conflict. In the story, “The Most Dangerous Game”, Richard Connell uses the literary techniques foreshadowing, characterization, and conflict to create suspense.
Tension and uncertainty caused by the unknown is the meaning of suspense. In “The Monkey’s Paw” by W.W. Jacobs suspense is found. During “The Monkey’s Paw” by Jacobs suspense is created through setting, irony, and foreshadowing. Much suspense is caused by these story elements.
In the short story, “The Most Dangerous Game,” author Richard Connell expertly exploits foreshadowing and vivid imagery to emphasize danger and suspense. Many authors attempt to do this, but only a small few succeed. Everyone who has stayed up past their bedtime reading a book will tell you, they stayed awake because the book they were reading was filled with suspense. It is suspense that separates the great stories from the good stories. And “The Most Dangerous Game” is definately a great one. By using foreshadowing and utilizing his characters five senses, Connell keeps readers at the edge of their seats, eagerly waiting to find out what comes next.
Connell utilizes the strength of the story by combining the setting with mood to observe the reaction of the characters when the environment around them changes. For example, as the "poisonous [air]'; engulfs the yacht, it gives Whitney "a mental chill; a sort of sudden dread'; as Rainsford and him sail precariously towards the island (62). Whitney, frightened by the grim nature around him, feels like a wounded bird fighting for its life among the hungry predators hiding in the unknown. The shroud of darkness completely surrounds not only Whitney, but the entire yacht which leaves him in a state of anxiety because of what lies in cover amid the dreadful island. Furthermore, as the eyes of Zaroff scatter over the island, searching for Rainsford, "Rainsford froze there, every muscle tensed'; afraid that the eyes will see (73). With shelter high above in the trees, away from Zaroff, Rainsford awaits for the perfect moment where he will jump down from among the sky and pounce on Zaroff like a leopard killing its prey. Consequently, while Rainsford keeps repeating the moment of victory inside his mind; the self-confidence, overflowing out of his veins, develops into uncertainty. Since Zaroff possesses the island and with his military expertise, scouts the island for any advantages in hunt; Rainsford fears that Zaroff will counter the surprise attack and kill him, making the hunter become the prey. When Connell interweaves setting into mood, the method he uses touches
In the short story “The Sound of Thunder”, by Ray Bradbury, suspense is built through setting,foreshadow,conflict.The first way, the author creates suspense is by the setting. The setting makes the story suspenseful by how they go throw time to go make in time by a time machine and when they get there they are in the middle of a jungle to 1492. Once they got to the jungle in 1492 they got out of the time machine and started talking about the rules and about how if they step of the trail or kill an animal that was not supposed to be killed there will be consequences. “The Machine slowed; its scream fell to a murmur. The Machine stopped. The sun stopped in the sky. The fog that had enveloped the Machine blew away and they were in an old time, a very old time indeed, three hunters and two Safari Heads with their blue metal guns across their knees.” Oncy they got there they followed they the people showing them which animal to hunt and telling them so hunt the ones with the red paint on them. In conclusion the reader knows it is suspenseful if they step off of the trail or shot one of them without red paint then they would be killed or have to pay a fine.
In “The Most Dangerous Game,” Richard Connell correlates three common literary devices especially well: setting, suspense, and plot. Connell makes use of an appropriate setting, the literary element of suspense, and an interesting plot in order to strengthen the story’s recurring theme of reason versus instinct within humans, and to blur that line between reason and instinct.
Though there are many different moods in the story, “The Most Dangerous Game,” the most common mood was suspense. An example of this is when General Zaroff said, “ what are the attributes of an ideal quarry?...It must have courage, cunning, and above all it must be able to reason.” “But no animal can reason,” objected Rainsford. “My dear fellow,” said the general, “there is one that can.” this is suspenseful because there is only one animal who has courage is cunning and can reason. That animal is a
In “The Call of The Wild,” the author uses suspense as the divider between scenes of action. One example is “He [Spitz the dog] even went out of his way to bully Buck, striving constantly to start the fight which could end only in the death of one or the other.” They travelled four-hundred and fifty miles and had numerous close calls the entire time. To the reader, the text gives hints that the fight is starting, which gets their hopes up only to be smothered like a candle being put
One of the first literary devices that is easily noticeable is suspense this is it what keeps the reader wanting more. When Al said “You can change history, Jake. Do you understand that? John Kennedy can live.” (King 111). Jake replies with huge doubts, “What if it went wrong?” ……. “What if I managed,……., to stop it from happening and made things worse instead of better? What if I came back
Rainsford had arrived on the shore of Ship-Trap Island after falling off a yacht. According to the narrator, “Bleak darkness was blacking out the sea and jungle when Rainsford sighted the lights” (Connell 45). The island Rainsford arrived on was filled with darkness, with light only coming from Zaroff’s château. The use of setting signifies the importance of where the story is taking place. In the beginning of the story, the island was described as dark, giving a feeling of indistinction.This setting first overwhelmed Rainsford, for he did not know what to do. The setting of the jungle is described as a location of being constrictive because it did not allow Rainsford to return back home. Rainsford used his instinct to navigate though the unknowns of Ship-Trap Island. Zaroff had the confidence of navigating the island’s challenges, so he distrusted his instinct. While setting helped reveal the message of the story, characterization also supported the author’s argument.
Suspense and tension begin and end with the character. The reader must first know what the main character desires, which means the writer must supply this information from the start. Does the main character need adventure, romance, freedom? What is holding him back from reaching what he desires, and what are the consequences if he cannot reach his goal? Both internal and external conflict is required, and suspense can only build when the character’s physical, psychological, spiritual, relational, and/or emotional wellness is threatened. After these key points are established, a foundation can be laid for suspense and tension.