Suspense

Definition

Suspense is a feeling of excitement or anxious uncertainty about what may happen next in a story. It's created through tension, pacing, and the anticipation of events, often leading the audience to engage deeply with the narrative as they seek resolution.

5 Must Know Facts For Your Next Test

1. Suspense is typically built during the rising action of a story, where stakes are heightened and obstacles arise for the protagonist.
2. Effective use of silence and pauses can intensify suspense, allowing moments for the audience to process potential outcomes before action unfolds.
3. Emotional pacing plays a crucial role in creating suspense; the balance between action and quieter moments keeps the audience engaged and anxious.
4. Dramatic irony enhances suspense by allowing the audience to know information that characters do not, increasing tension as viewers await the consequences.
5. Plot twists are often used as climactic moments in suspenseful narratives, providing surprise and a shift in direction that impacts audience expectations.

Review Questions

• How does rising action contribute to building suspense in a narrative?
  • Rising action is crucial for building suspense as it introduces complications and challenges that the protagonist must face. During this phase, tension increases as conflicts escalate, and stakes become higher. This creates a sense of uncertainty about the outcome, which keeps the audience engaged and eager to see how events will unfold.
• In what ways can foreshadowing be utilized to enhance suspense within a story?
  • Foreshadowing can be used to hint at future events, creating anticipation and heightening suspense. By providing subtle clues about what might happen later, writers keep audiences on edge as they try to piece together how these hints will come into play. This technique engages viewers' imaginations and emotions, making them more invested in the unfolding drama.
• Evaluate how dramatic irony serves to heighten suspense in a film or television narrative.
  • Dramatic irony occurs when the audience knows something that characters do not, significantly heightening suspense. This knowledge creates a disconnect between what characters believe will happen and what is actually likely to unfold. As viewers anticipate potential outcomes based on their insight, they experience anxiety for characters who are unaware of impending danger, enhancing emotional engagement and tension throughout the narrative.

Related terms

Tension:

A mental or emotional strain that arises from the conflict within the story, driving the audience to wonder about the outcome.

Foreshadowing:

A literary device used to give hints or clues about what will happen later in the story, helping to build suspense by creating anticipation.

Cliffhanger:

An ending to a scene or chapter that leaves the audience in suspense, eager to know what happens next, often used to enhance narrative momentum.