Unit 1: Selection Vocabulary 1

Every maker of mystery movies aims at getting the audience on the edge of their seats. The ingredient to keep them there is called “suspense.”

A man has been murdered and all six are possible suspects but no one is sure including the audience.

One of the characters, a young man, is standing in a shadowy room with his back to the door when an unidentified character in a cloak and black hat sneaks in and slugs him into insensibility.

Offhand this may sound like debunking, but I do not believe that puzzling the audience is the essence of suspense.

In order to achieve this, one of the necessary ingredients of the formula is a series of plausible situations with people that are real. When characters are unbelievable you never get suspense, only surprise.

The sergeant-major shook hands, and taking the proffered seat by the fire, watched contentedly while his host got out whiskey and tumblers and stood a small copper kettle on the fire.

“I should like to see those old temples and fakirs and jugglers,” said the old man.

“Hold it up in your right hand and wish aloud,” said the sergeant-major, “but I warn you of the consequences.”

Her husband drew the talisman from pocket, and then all three burst into laughter as the sergeant-major, with a look of alarm on his face, caught him by the arm.

But the days passed, and expectation gave place to resignation—the hopeless resignation of the old, sometimes miscalled, apathy.