Loading…
GCSE English Literature · key term
An anxious state of uncertainty about what will happen or what an unexplained event means.
Used by AQA, Edexcel, OCR and Eduqas
Paper 1
An anxious feeling of uncertainty about what will happen or what will be revealed.
Revise: Chapters 6 to 8By showing the outward signs of his crisis without explaining their cause, Stevenson invites sympathy while maintaining the suspense surrounding his secret.
The deliberate creation of uncertainty about what will happen next, encouraging readers to continue reading.
When analysing suspense, explain which information Stevenson withholds and how this affects the reader.
Question on fear or suspense: explain how restricted sight, small sounds, delayed discovery and changes of pace affect the reader.
For suspense, explain both the clue Stevenson supplies and the information he withholds.
Create a free account to keep every note you open and track your progress.
Paper 2
A state of anxious uncertainty about what will happen or what will be discovered.
Revise: Chapters 6 to 8The gap between observation and explanation creates suspense: anxious uncertainty about what will happen or be revealed.
Paper 1
A feeling of anxious uncertainty about what will happen next, often created by delaying an outcome.
Revise: Book Two, Chapters 1 to 5: trapped with the curateSuspense now depends on tiny noises and uncertain movements rather than large-scale destruction. He can hear the search but cannot see enough to know whether he is safe.
An anxious sense of anticipation created by uncertainty about what will happen or what an event means.
Component 2
Revise: Chapters 6 to 8Suspense comes not from a complete absence of clues, but from clues that cannot yet be assembled correctly.
