Man From The South Analysis

Most of our entertainment today is based on suspense. Contests, sports, and murder mysteries all use suspense to grab the viewer. "Man From the South," "And of Clay We Are Created," and "Live to Tell" all use suspense to keep the reader invested into the story. "Man from the South" is a story that's filled with suspense. When a naval cadet comes to a new area and takes a bet that could lose his finger, the reader almost forced to see how it ends. When lighting the lighter, any incorrect movement would cost him his finger. "'Eight!' I said, and as I said it the door opened. We all turned and we saw a woman standing in the doorway... who stood there for about two seconds then rushed forward shouting, 'Carlos!'" (Dahl 38). This feeds the suspense of the story because just as the cadet is almost done, the woman comes in and stops "Carlos" from continuing. That means if he did end up not lighting one of the eight previous lights, his finger would've been gone. When setting the table up for the bet, the little man was telling the cadet to to things as if he's done it many times before, "Now place de left hand between dese two nails. De nails are only so I can tie your hand in place" (Dahl 37). This

When Rolf Carle is consoling the little girl, she sees him crying and comforts him, "'I'm not crying for you,' Rolf Carle smiled. 'I'm crying for myself. I hurt all over'" (Allende 7). This exhibits suspense because the rubble below the girl is no longer damaging her, but Rolf Carle now too. This makes the reader want the girl to be saved even more than before. When the girl was about to die, "Rolf assured her that he loved her more than he could ever love anyone" (Allende 8). This is when the reader is thinking that there's no way the story could end this way and is waiting for it to change but it never