Final answer:
Mark Twain creates tension in his writing through the structure of rising action, vivid descriptions, and dialogue that heightens the conflict. This narrative leads to a climax with significant tension before resolving in the falling action, providing insights related to the story's larger themes.
Step-by-step explanation:
To analyze how tension is created in an excerpt by Mark Twain, one must look at the narrative structure and literary techniques employed by the author. The rising action is crucial as it builds tension by detailing Twain's shift from confidence to increasing anxiety in handling a crossing on the river.
This is vividly conveyed through descriptions, as the dangers and perils faced by Twain are amplified, alongside the use of dialogue that serves to intensify the conflict. Specifically, the dialogue between Twain and other characters foregrounds his growing doubts, thus steepening the path towards the narrative's climax.
Exposition is where the author sets the scene for the story. Here, Twain's initial confidence is established. During the rising action, this confidence is challenged through mounting pressure from the circumstances and other characters, escalating the narrative towards the climax. The climax of a story is where the highest point of tension and conflict is found, necessitating some decisive action.
Finally, the falling action follows, which begins to resolve the built up tension and leads to a revelation or insight that ties into the larger theme of the narrative. Importantly, the order in which events are presented can influence the buildup of tension, whether through a chronological sequence or by using various devices such as flashbacks or thematic anecdotes.
Through these mechanisms, Twain draws readers into his narrative, creates emotional engagement, and defines the central conflict of the story.