Question
How does the author build suspense in the first paragraph of the short story The Lottery?
"The morning of June 27th was clear and sunny, with the fresh warmth of a full-summer day; the flowers were blossoming profusely and the grass was richly green. The people of the village began to gather in the square, between the post office and the bank, around ten o'clock; i some towns there were so many people that the lottery took two days and had to be started on June 26th, but in this village, where there were only about three hundred people, the whole lottery took less than two hours, so it could begin at ten o'clock in the morning and still be through in time to allow the villagers to get home for noon dinner. The children assembled first, of course. School was recently over"
A. The author builds suspense by creating a dark and ominous atmosphere
B. The author builds suspense by introducing dark and sinister characters at the outset of the story.
C. The author builds suspense by repeating words and phrases that create a tense mood
D. The author builds suspense not presenting a dark mood, but one that is somewhat cheerful and nonchalant. This makes the reader wondering about the next sentence
"The morning of June 27th was clear and sunny, with the fresh warmth of a full-summer day; the flowers were blossoming profusely and the grass was richly green. The people of the village began to gather in the square, between the post office and the bank, around ten o'clock; i some towns there were so many people that the lottery took two days and had to be started on June 26th, but in this village, where there were only about three hundred people, the whole lottery took less than two hours, so it could begin at ten o'clock in the morning and still be through in time to allow the villagers to get home for noon dinner. The children assembled first, of course. School was recently over"
A. The author builds suspense by creating a dark and ominous atmosphere
B. The author builds suspense by introducing dark and sinister characters at the outset of the story.
C. The author builds suspense by repeating words and phrases that create a tense mood
D. The author builds suspense not presenting a dark mood, but one that is somewhat cheerful and nonchalant. This makes the reader wondering about the next sentence
Answers
GPT 3.5
C. The author builds suspense by repeating words and phrases that create a tense mood. By describing the idyllic setting and the cheerful mood of the villagers, the author sets the stage for something unexpected and ominous to occur during the lottery. This contrast between the peaceful setting and the upcoming event creates a sense of anticipation and suspense for the reader.