Question

"Slowly and surely the twentieth century came the great disillusionment". In the opening paragraph of "The War of the Worlds" by H. G. Wells, how does the text create suspense?

A. By giving hints about events in the story that have already happened.
B. By telling the reader the Martians' plan from the beginning.
C. By telling the reader that the narrator will survive the attack.
D. By giving the reader clues about how the aliens are defeated.

Answer 1

In H.G. Wells' 'The War of the Worlds,' the opening line creates suspense by hinting at already occurred events, thus setting a foreboding tone and inviting the reader to uncover the narrative with anticipation. Hence, the correct answer is option A.

Step-by-step explanation:

The text 'Slowly and surely the twentieth century came the great disillusionment,' found in the opening paragraph of 'The War of the Worlds' by H. G. Wells, creates suspense primarily by giving hints about events in the story that have already happened.

This method involves providing foreshadowing elements that suggest significant and potentially catastrophic events have taken place, inviting the reader to continue with a sense of foreboding and anticipation. This technique is different from explaining the Martians' plan from the beginning, revealing the narrator's survival, or detailing the defeat of the aliens, which would decrease the element of suspense in the narrative.