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How Does Andy Weir Create Tension In The Martian

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Andy Weir’s The Martian portrays what it would be like to be stuck on the Red Planet, trying to survive. The Martian is set on the planet of Mars, where the main protagonist, Mark Watney is unintentionally abandoned. Mark is pushed to his physical and mental limits while trying to stay alive and get off his Martian home. Weir uses both suspense and sarcasm frequently in the novel, both of which add depth to the story and make the reader feel a deep connection between them and Mark. The Martian by Andy Weir, whose life is just as exciting as his novel, has a rich, suspenseful storyline, as well as a humorous theme of sarcasm.
Along with being an amazing writer, Weir is also a very interesting person.
The son of an engineer mother and a physicist …show more content…

An example of a suspenseful moment in the story is after Mark (the main character) fixes a problem in the Hab (Mark’s Martian habitat), he waits to see if it will hold: “There we go… still holding… Lemme check the suit…. Readouts say the pressure is stable. Looks like the duct tape made a good seal. Let’s see if it holds….” (Weir 162). The suspense makes the reader want to figure out what happens and not put the book down until they do. Another example of suspense is after Mark finishes a big job and has to execute the next part of his plan: “Get to the rover (the vehicle Mark uses to travel around Mars). Then I’m safe. If I run out of time before finding a suit, I’ll just run to the rover. I’ll be in trouble, but I’ll have time to think and materials to work with. Deep breath… here we go!” (Weir 167). The suspensefulness adds to the story by making the reader feel nervous and even scared for the main protagonist Mark, which leaves a lasting impression on the reader. Suspense plays a huge part in The Martian because it enhances the storyline and keeps the reader on the edge of their seat until they figure out what happens

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Suspense, it's that slow quiet moment building up fear or suspicion in your mind while watching a movie or reading a book right before something important happens. The T.V. series Harper's Island demonstrates this perfectly when a couple, and their group of friends go to an island to get married, but an old killer lives on the island and he’s looking to spill blood once again. Three ways Harper's Island builds suspense is very close up shots where you can only see a small movement or only one thing in frame, very far away quiet shots, and when you have to wait a second for something to happen but you know it's going to happen. Firstly they use really close up shots.

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This type of suspense also causes the reader to “have to” keep reading. A few pages later, the author creates suspense again when Sorrento says “sit down Wade.” Even though they have his home wired with explosives, he still logs out. The author again drops off and waits at least half a page until he makes the bomb go off. Once again, the reader has to think “was he bluffing or not” and makes the reader continue to read when suddenly, bang, there 's your

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In the short story, “The Most Dangerous Game” by Richard Connell, suspense is created through the use of foreshadowing, different points of view, and cliffhangers. Without suspense, the book would be boring and uninteresting to read. The author uses these three main techniques to keep the reader engaged. First off, Connell uses foreshadowing to create suspense by using appalling words to map out the near future, and by using dialogue. The author uses dreadful words like “dark” and “cannibal” to foreshadow the daunting future.

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What gives the reader that feeling of being on the edge of their seat? Why would he want the reader to anticipate what’s going to happen next? That is how the author expresses tension. The author does this by using literary devices. Edgar Allen Poe builds suspense in “The Black Cat” by using specific literary devices—foreshadowing, allusion, and slow pace.

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Suspense is used in literature to give off a feeling of uncertainty. In W.F. Harvey’s story “August Heat”, he writes about our protagonist James and how he meets a bizarre character named Mr.Atkinson who he feels is an unnatural person and feels uneasy with him. Later when he is invited to stay the night, Harvey finished the story off with James saying he will “be gone in less than an

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