How Does W. F Harvey Create Suspense

For two centuries now, horror and suspense stories have become one of the most intriguing types of story genres. These genres have captured the attention of countless of readers and nowadays watchers. According to Percy D’Aco, horror stories are created to show discomfort and fear reflecting on one’s greatest fears. In the process of writing horror stories, numerous authors create suspense to make people continue reading and stay hooked on the story. A great example of the use of suspense would be the horror story “August Heat,” written by W.F Harvey. In the story, W.F Harvey uses the reversal of events, foreshadowing and character in peril to promote suspense throughout the story. As you read the story, you can see a reversal or “sudden change in a character’s situation from good to bad…” (D’Aco). In the beginning of the story, the author begins by describing the setting, date, August 20, 190-, and the main Character, James Clarence Whitecroft. The day had so far been a success for James, who was an artist and had recently drawn what he believed to be his best work. However, a turn of events happened when he found himself “standing before a gate that led into a yard bordered by a strip of thirsty earth, (and) a board

W.F Harvey also applied character in peril, in which a character “must choose between two dangerous courses of action” (D’Aco). He demonstrated this when James had to make the life or death decision to stay with Mr. Atkinson until the day was over or go home and wait to see what happens. Mr. Atkinson suggested him to stay at his place and told him “if you go back home to-night, you take your chance of accidents.” James decided to stay with Mr. Atkinson until the day was over, yet he didn’t know exactly how things would turn out. W.F Harvey finally finishes the story, however, he leaves untold what happens to James in the last hour of August