The Elements of Suspense

The Elements The Elements of Suspenseof Suspense

All Stories Contain All Stories Contain Certain ElementsCertain Elements

PlotPlotCharacteCharacterr

Setting Setting

DialoguDialoguee

NarrativNarrativee

SuspenseSuspense

Anxiety or Anxiety or apprehension resulting apprehension resulting

from an uncertain, from an uncertain, undecided, or undecided, or

mysterious situation mysterious situation

Dictionary.comDictionary.com

In suspense In suspense there must there must be an be an unknown; a unknown; a suspicion, a suspicion, a mystery, a mystery, a danger we danger we expectexpect

SuspenseSuspense (mystery, (mystery,

intrigue, tension)intrigue, tension) is built with:is built with:FactsFactsInnuendoInnuendoAtmospherAtmospheree

ActionAction

Ways to deepen Ways to deepen suspense…suspense…

DreamsDreamsforeshadowing foreshadowing what may what may happen happen

showing the showing the charactercharacter’’ssdeepest fears, deepest fears, his haunting his haunting past past


CluesCluesjournals / diaries journals / diaries / letters / notes / / letters / notes / pictures, etc. pictures, etc.

physical physical evidence that evidence that can be used to can be used to determine time determine time of death, how, of death, how, and whereand where

Ways to Ways to deepen deepen suspense…suspense…

The WeatherThe Weatherthe season can the season can match or contrast match or contrast the charactersthe characters’’ emotional stateemotional state


The SensesThe Sensesthe smell of blood, the the smell of blood, the stench of an alleystench of an alley

the taste of fear the taste of fear reaction to finding a dead reaction to finding a dead bodybody

the feel of blood-soaked the feel of blood-soaked clothingclothing


The VillainThe Villainhis/her motivations or his/her motivations or intentionsintentions

simple greed, simple greed, jealousy, moneyjealousy, money

the complicated the complicated serial killer mindserial killer mind


Other Other characterscharacters

plant red plant red herringsherrings

shift suspicion shift suspicion onto themonto them

Themes Concerning PeopleThemes Concerning People

Terror inflicted upon the often unknowing Terror inflicted upon the often unknowing and innocent victimand innocent victim

Innocent people caught up in events they Innocent people caught up in events they cannot controlcannot control

Transference of guilt: innocent characterTransference of guilt: innocent character’’s s failings are transferred to another failings are transferred to another character and magnifiedcharacter and magnified

Explored the compatibility of men and Explored the compatibility of men and women (especially a mother figure)women (especially a mother figure)

The wrong manThe wrong man

Themes Concerning the MindThemes Concerning the Mind

Guilt (real or the Guilt (real or the appearance of it)appearance of it)

RedemptionRedemptionEarly films reflected the Early films reflected the

political climate of political climate of Europe during the warEurope during the war

Preferred to use Preferred to use suspense rather than suspense rather than surprisesurprise

The Nightmarish Mind of The Nightmarish Mind of Edgar Allen PoeEdgar Allen Poe

BackgroundBackground

Born 1809-1849Born 1809-1849His mother died during His mother died during

his youth and his father his youth and his father abandoned themabandoned them

After the death of his After the death of his grandmother, he married grandmother, he married his 13-year-old cousin, his 13-year-old cousin, Virginia in 1835Virginia in 1835

Virginia died in 1847Virginia died in 1847Died in 1849Died in 1849

Education of PoeEducation of PoeEntered and Entered and

dropped from both dropped from both the University of the University of Virginia and West Virginia and West PointPoint

Ran into debt and Ran into debt and started borrowing started borrowing money, gambling money, gambling and getting deeper and getting deeper into debtinto debt

Writing Style of PoeWriting Style of Poe

Wrote in a Gothic StyleWrote in a Gothic StyleDeep and intenseDeep and intenseExplorations of а world Explorations of а world

of dream and of of dream and of nightmarenightmare

In his stories the past In his stories the past is darker, more is darker, more ominous and ominous and oppresses his heroes oppresses his heroes and heroines and heroines

Poe’s CharactersPoe’s Characters

Many of his Many of his characters are characters are filled with filled with madnessmadness

Obsessed with Obsessed with the irrational the irrational side of the side of the mindmind

Edgar Allen Poe’sThe Tell-The Tell-

TaleTaleH E A R T

SettingSettingThe story opens with the narrator The story opens with the narrator

telling readers that he is not mad. telling readers that he is not mad. His narrative is supposed to be a His narrative is supposed to be a vehicle to show he is not insane.vehicle to show he is not insane.

The story is set in a house occupied The story is set in a house occupied by the narrator and an old man by the narrator and an old man during the mid 1800during the mid 1800’’s.s.

General InformationGeneral Information

General InformationGeneral InformationGenreGenre

Horror story and Horror story and

psychological thrillerpsychological thrillerStory and StyleStory and Style

The Tell Tale Heart is one of The Tell Tale Heart is one of PoePoe’’s shortest stories. Its shortest stories. It’’s s lack of detail only adds to its lack of detail only adds to its suspense by creating a suspense by creating a mood of paranoia for the mood of paranoia for the reader that mirrors the reader that mirrors the feelings of the narrator feelings of the narrator

Literary FocusLiterary Focus

Point of ViewPoint of ViewThe story is told in first-person The story is told in first-person point of view by an unreliable point of view by an unreliable narrator. narrator.

The narrator is obviously deranged, The narrator is obviously deranged, even though he declares at the even though he declares at the outset that he is sane. outset that he is sane.

As in many of his other short As in many of his other short stories, Poe does not name the stories, Poe does not name the narrator. narrator.

Literary FocusLiterary Focus IronyIrony

The irony of the story The irony of the story stems from the narratorstems from the narrator’’s s claims of sanity being claims of sanity being disproved by his own disproved by his own claims.claims.

Although he proclaims Although he proclaims himself to be too calm to himself to be too calm to be a madman, he is be a madman, he is defeated by a noise that defeated by a noise that may be interpreted as the may be interpreted as the beating of his own heart beating of his own heart

Literary FocusLiterary Focus

Imagery and RepetitionImagery and RepetitionPoePoe’’s use of sound throughout the s use of sound throughout the

narrative, combined by using narrative, combined by using repetition adds to the storyrepetition adds to the story’’s s suspense.suspense.

The effect is a building of noise The effect is a building of noise in the readersin the readers’’ ears and a ears and a building of tensionbuilding of tension

ThemesThemes

MankindMankind’’s wicked side–another selfs wicked side–another selfMankindMankind’’s paranoias paranoiaMankindMankind’’s Fear s Fear Mental Pressure and FatigueMental Pressure and FatigueAppearance vs. RealityAppearance vs. RealityDark Appearances vs. Dark ThoughtsDark Appearances vs. Dark Thoughts

Character AnalysisCharacter Analysis

The NarratorThe NarratorDeranged unnamed person Deranged unnamed person who tries to convince the who tries to convince the reader that he is sane.reader that he is sane.He is intelligent and has the He is intelligent and has the ability to commit a crime with ability to commit a crime with skill and precisionskill and precisionHe nagged by what he calls He nagged by what he calls heightened senses, heightened senses, something that is a condition something that is a condition found in several various Poe found in several various Poe stories stories

Character AnalysisCharacter Analysis

Character AnalysisCharacter AnalysisThe Old ManThe Old Man::

NeighborNeighbor::

Three PolicemenThree Policemen::

Seemingly harmless elder who has a hideous "evil eye" that unnerves the narrator.

Person who hears a shriek coming from the house of the narrator and the old man, then reports it to the police.

Officers who search the narrator's house after a neighbor reports hearing a shriek.

The Elements of Suspense

Documents

Transcript of The Elements of Suspense