Suspense and Horror: Gothic Writing across Time

Which elements would readers likely find in an American gothic story?

Best answers 1. a tone of dread or dark foreboding 2. suspense 3. an appeal to emotion 4. eerie sights and sounds

What is the effect of Irving's word choice in this passage?

It shows how nervous the painting makes the narrator.

Which characteristic of suspense does the story include?

a darkening mood

How does Irving primarily achieve the gothic tone?

through evoking an emotional response

Which element of King's analysis of horror cannot be found in "The Adventure of the Mysterious Picture"?

the locked door or forbidden access

What could an author do to adjust the mood to heighten suspense?

1. describe dark imagery, such as approaching dusk, shadows, and storms 2. recount unexpected or unexplained events 3. leave out key details to increase mystery

What characteristics of American gothic fiction does "The Adventure of the Mysterious Picture" include?

1. elements of the supernatural 2. an appeal to emotion 3. an ominous tone

What effect does suspense typically have on a reader?

1. shivers down the spine 2. a contradictory urge both to continue reading or watching and to stop 3. pleasure in unspeakable things such as blood and gore 4. excitement in knowing that you are safe

What does Irving use to build suspense in the story?

1. the odd collection of guests 2. the lack of detail about the haunted room experiment 3. the scene in the bedroom when the picture "haunts" the narrator 4. the breakfast scene, when the narrator is revealed as the man who saw the ghost 5. the host's explanation, which promises to reveal the purpose of the story

What suspenseful actions of the narrator contribute to the tone of the passage? Check the three best answers.

1. undressing uncomfortably 2. being unable to take his eyes away 3. being nervous

Do you think Irving uses this method to create suspense effectively? Write a short critique. Support your answer with an example from "The Adventure of the Mysterious Picture."

Irving effectively uses emotional responses to create suspense in the story. Irving's tone creates expectations for the reader, which in turn create suspense. Irving's suspense would have been more effective with more vivid details. Irving's story is not suspenseful

What effect does the increase in suspense have on the mood?

It encourages the reader to keep reading

How does the description of the expression in the picture increase suspense at this point in the story?

It never explains the cause of the pain

Why do you think suspenseful stories continue to be popular today? Consider the effect of suspense on readers.

They speak to our irrational side. They free our imagination and make us childlike. They allow emotion to triumph over reason. They remind us of the problem of evil. They take us out of the safe, everyday world. They stir our curiosity and excite us. They cause an adrenaline rush. They make us imagine the most dire ending.

According to Stephen King, what is the purpose of horror writing?

To temporarily free the imagination

What is the tone of the passage?

agitated

The tone of this passage and the tone of "The Adventure of the Mysterious Picture" both show

an unhinged inner psychological state

According to King's purpose of horror writing, how did Irving achieve the purpose of a horror story?

by making the portrait eerily lifelike

How does Irving's use of suspense affect the story?

it creates a mood of anxiety and uncertainty