Fear and Suspense

Fear and Suspense

• Fear is caused by the unknown in addition to suspense, often caused by a feeling of intuitively perceived danger.

• It is common feelings that portray emotions throughout the story.
• Fear and suspense can come in many forms.
• There are endless amounts of factors that must come together in a movie, novel or play.

Fear

• Fear of the unknown
• Fear of death
• Fear of change
• Fear of failure
• Physical abnormalities
• Mental abnormalities
• Change of behavior
• Fear of interaction
• Fear of judgment

Suspense

• Perceived danger (suspense)
• Ominous weather
• Intuition (feeling that something bad is about to happen)
• Ominous setting
• Scary music
• Psychological issues (questioning sanity)
• Unpredicted clues
• Jumpscares
• Dramatic irony (exploitation)Situational irony
• Change of behavior
• Scary things we have previously encountered

Rhetoric Devices Utilized to Achieve Them

Rhetoric Devices

• Foreshadowing
• Built up tension
• False clues
• A main character in risk
• Lack of certainty
• Increasing the rhythm, shorter sentences/fragmentation
• Curiosity
• Suspenseful music
• Intuition (feeling that something bad is about to happen)
• Ominous setting
• Cliffhangers
• Anticipation/build up
• Psychological issues (questioning sanity)

In The Crucible (movie) when Elizabeth was asked if John Proctor and Abigail had committed the sin of adultery, there was a pause of silence which built the suspenseful moment. This caused a bigger reaction and the scene became that much more effective for the audience/reader than if she had just simply said "no".

In the short story, “The Falling of the House of Usher”, Roderick's questioning of his own sanity as well as his uncertainty regarding his normality creates suspense.

Suspense is used to create fear in “The Masque of the Red Death” when Prince Prospero is running from “The Red Death.”

(The Cask of Amontillado): “We had passed through long walls of piled skeletons, with casks and puncheons intermingling, into the inmost recesses of the catacombs.”

(The Minister’s Black Veil): “A person who watched the interview between the dead and living, scrupled not to affirm, that, at the instant when the clergyman's features were disclosed, the corpse had slightly shuddered, rustling the shroud and muslin cap, though the countenance retained the composure of death.”

(The Legend of Sleepy Hollow): “In the dark shadow of the grove, on the margin of the brook, he beheld something huge, misshapen, black, and towering. It stirred not, but seemed gathered up in the gloom, like some gigantic monster ready to spring upon the traveler .”

First, the difference between active and inactive sound:

Active sound - sound that is actually present in the story, e.g. people talking, even wind blowing and doors creaking because it's also happening.

Inactive sound - extra sound added for effect such as synth and abrupt "boom" or "pow" noises which aren't actually present and don't truly exist but were added.

• A difference is that horror movies have a lot of inactive and active sound, but plays and novels can only have active sound. Inactive sound is the main component of jump-scares which are prevalent in films. In novels, a more subtle and slower, less-startling approach must be attempted. Active sounds are being read instead of heard.
• A similarity is that they all use foreshadowing, e.g. In "The Masque of the Red Death," the fourth sentence 'There were sharp pains, and sudden dizziness, and then profuse bleeding at the pores, with dissolution.' It already foreshadows what could possibly happen to the characters in the story. In the same way, in "The Conjuring", there were a number of unexplainable and strange occurrences, this leads to a foreshadowing of demonic activity in the house.

Did you think that the written play of the crucible was more effective, or was the movie more effective?

Why do you think that is? What things come together nicely to make it effective?

Out of all that we discussed in the Conjuring, which suspense creating device did you think was the most effective? Explain.

In what ways does creating a strong character development throughout the story help achieve a greater sense of fear in suspenseful moments?

By: Moriah, Sulmi, John, Dajon

Discussion Questions

1 Similarity and 1 Difference in Rhetoric Devices and Approach Between Sources

Thesis

Textual Evidence

Causes of Fear

/Suspense

Synopsis

This is for those who dont know the story

• Cliche horror movie storyline.
• Family moves into a house inhabited by spirits.
• They slowly start to notice odd things happening in the house and to them.
• All these events add to the suspense.
• (Show video)

Texts/Sources Chosen

“The Cask of Amontillado” by Edgar Allan Poe

“The Masque of the Red Death” by Edgar Allan Poe

“The Minister’s Black Veil” by Nathaniel Hawthorne

“The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” by Washington Irving

“The Falling of the House of Usher” by Edgar Allan Poe

“The Crucible” by Arthur Miller

“The Conjuring” by James Wan