In author Liam O’Flaherty’s story, “The Sniper”, he demonstrates expert use of suspense. The story takes place in the midst of the Irish civil war on a late evening of a June night with the main character, a young, nameless Republican sniper, stationed on a roof in Dublin, Ireland. The first display of suspense in the story takes place in the third paragraph where it states, “He was eating a sandwich hungrily. He had eaten nothing since morning. He had been to excited to eat,” this displays suspense by instilling multiple questions in the reader. “What was he excited for? Why is he excited? What is about to happen?” The second display of suspense takes place only moments later when the story says “He paused for a moment, considering whether he should risk a smoke. It was dangerous. The flash might be seen in the darkness, and there were enemies watching. He decided to take the risk,” this displays suspense by instilling worry and questions about what is about to happen. “What is he thinking?!! Is he …show more content…
In the nineteenth paragraph it says “The Republican sniper smiled and lifted his revolver above the edge of the parapet. The distance was about fifty yards--a hard shot in the dim light, and his right arm was paining him like a thousand devils. He took steady aim. His hand trembled with eagerness. Pressing his lips together, he took a deep breath through his nostrils and fired,” the suspense here is overwhelming. It sends all kinds of thoughts through the reader's head, “Did he hit him? Was he spotted? Is he about to get shot? Did he miss? That was an amazing shot if he hit, and with a revolver too!” All of this combined and with the rest of the suspense is why Liam O’Flaherty is an expert at using suspense in his writing. He demonstrates expert use of suspense through his description of the situation and the danger it poses to the main
Suspense The story that demonstrated the best suspense out of the three stories, The Sniper by Liam O’Flahtery, The Dogs Could Teach Me by Gary Paulsen, and The Flowers by Alice Walker was The Sniper, by LIam O’Flahtery. There are many ways in which O’Flahtery develops suspense in the story. One place where suspense was built was in the fourth paragraph. He says, “Almost immediately, a bullet flattened itself against the parapet of the roof.”
“Taking off his cap, he placed it over the muzzle of his rifle. Then he pushed the rifle slowly upward over the parapet, until the cap was visible from the opposite side of the street” (O’Flaherty 3). This just proves how the republican is trying to trick the other sniper across the wat. The sniper wants the other person to think that they had killed the sniper. That why when the other person thought that they had killed the sniper that is why the other person stood up and started walking off the roof.
Suspense, the state of tension, anxiety, and uncertainty, like waiting for an outcome that comes very slow. Authors usually create suspense by using story elements. In the story “The Monkeys Paw” by W.W. Jacobs, he uses story elements such as foreshadowing, conflict, and surprise ending. Foreshadowing is one of the biggest ways that expresses suspense in the story. For example Sergeant Major Morris states that the first owner of the paw wished for death.
In Richard Connell’s “The Most Dangerous Game,” the author uses setting, foreshadowing, and the character's thoughts to enhance the suspenseful mood of the story. One way the author enhances the
Daphne du Maurier’s short story “The Birds” is a piece of fiction that displays many literary elements. This story displays suspense, foreshadowing, and imagery. By using these literary elements du Maurier creates an intense story that leaves the readers wondering what happens next and wanting more. First, foreshadowing is used to reference events that will happen further into the story.
In the short story, “The Most Dangerous Game” by Richard Connell, suspense is created through the use of foreshadowing, different points of view, and cliffhangers. Without suspense, the book would be boring and uninteresting to read. The author uses these three main techniques to keep the reader engaged. First off, Connell uses foreshadowing to create suspense by using appalling words to map out the near future, and by using dialogue. The author uses dreadful words like “dark” and “cannibal” to foreshadow the daunting future.
Did you know that authors use many different literary devices to tell a story? A literary device is a technique writers use to make their stories unique and interesting. Literary devices like simile, metaphor, suspense, personification, allusion, irony, foreshadowing, and imagery are used in lots of stories. In the short story ¨The Most Dangerous Game”, Richard Connell uses literary devices such as suspense and simile to help the reader gain a clear understanding of the story. In this essay, I will provide two examples of literary devices used throughout Richard Connell’s short story.
What gives the reader that feeling of being on the edge of their seat? Why would he want the reader to anticipate what’s going to happen next? That is how the author expresses tension. The author does this by using literary devices. Edgar Allen Poe builds suspense in “The Black Cat” by using specific literary devices—foreshadowing, allusion, and slow pace.
After staging his own death, the enemy sniper moves out into the open, a clear and easy shot. “Then, when the smoke cleared, [the sniper] peered across and uttered a cry of joy.” “The sniper looked at his enemy falling.” “Then the sniper turned over the death body, and looked into the face of his brother. I regret his actions.
Suspense is used in literature to give off a feeling of uncertainty. In W.F. Harvey’s story “August Heat”, he writes about our protagonist James and how he meets a bizarre character named Mr.Atkinson who he feels is an unnatural person and feels uneasy with him. Later when he is invited to stay the night, Harvey finished the story off with James saying he will “be gone in less than an
Suspense is an element used to build tension and you can see the suspense technique in various parts of the story, strongly in the 3 forms thoughts, time and expectation. Thoughts is one of the
“His hand trembles with eagerness. Pressing his lips together, he took a deep breath through his nostrils and fired” (208). This quote is showing the nerves and anxiety the sniper had received from out tricking his own brother. The last example in “The Man He Killed” the war had
This shows how the sniper’s actions without thought affect him for the worse. O’Flaherty establishes the theme of “The Sniper” by using description and irony. After the sniper turns over the dead body, he realizes what he has done. He was not thinking when he shot the enemy.
¨The sniper raised his rifle and fired. The head fell heavily on the turret wall. The woman darted toward the side of the street. The sniper fired again. The