Read the excerpt from "The Adventure of the Mysterious Picture."

Question

"There is a secret about one of my rooms on which I feel disposed to try an experiment. So, gentlemen, none of you shall know who has the haunted chamber, until circumstances reveal it. I will not even know it myself, but will leave it to chance and the allotment of the housekeeper. At the same time, if it will be any satisfaction to you, I will observe, for the honor of my paternal mansion, that there's scarcely a chamber in it but is well worthy of being haunted."
What technique does Irving use to build suspense in the excerpt?

Answer 1

Irving uses the technique of foreshadowing to build suspense in the excerpt from "The Adventure of the Mysterious Picture." By hinting at a secret about one of the rooms and mentioning that it will be left to chance and the housekeeper's allotment to reveal, Irving creates anticipation and curiosity in the reader about what will happen next. Additionally, the mention of a haunted chamber adds a mysterious and eerie element to the story, further heightening the suspense.