1. Pick the correct statement. The fi rst point of confl ict in the story is:
a. The sniper is hungry b. The sniper wants a cigarette c. The sniper has run out of bullets d. The enemy is on the attack
2. What words or phrases does the author use in paragraph 6 to make us feel nervous or scared for the sniper?
3. Choose three moments in the story where you felt suspense building.
4. Identify any words or phrases that make you feel tense in one of these moments.
GUIDE TO
Building Suspense and Tension ❍ Liam O’Flaherty creates a dramat c set ing for the action to unfold.
❍ ‘The long June twilight faded into night. Dublin lay enveloped in darkness but for the dim light of the moon that shone through fl eecy clouds, casting a pale light as of approaching dawn over the streets and the dark waters of the Liff ey.’
❍ He puts the main character in danger. There are things about the main character that
we may not like but the author also develops sympathy for him. He is cold and hungry and is clearly fi ghting for a cause he believes in. Once he is placed in danger, it raises the tension and suspense.
❍ ‘He was eating a sandwich hungrily. He had eaten nothing since morning ...’
