Question

Which portion of the text does the author use to create tension?

(2) The boy wearily dropped his heavy bundle and stood still, listening as the voice of crickets split the shadows and
made the silence audible. A tear wandered down his brown cheek. They were at supper now, he whispered the father
and old mother, away back yonder beyond the night. They were far away; they would never be as near as once they had
been, for he had stepped into the world. And the cat and Old Billy-ah, but the world was a lonely thing, so wide and tall
and empty! And so bare, so bitter bare! Somehow he had never dreamed of the world as lonely before; he had fared forth
to beckoning hands and luring, and to the eager hum of human voices, as of some great, swelling music.
(3) Yet now he was alone; the empty night was closing all about him here in a strange land, and he was afraid. The
bundle with his earthly treasure had hung heavy and heavier on his shoulder; his little horde of money was tightly wadded
in his sock, and the school lay hidden somewhere far away in the shadows. He wondered how far it was; he looked and
harkened, starting at his own heartbeats, and fearing more and more the long dark fingers of the night.

Answer 1

The author creates tension through vivid descriptions of setting, direct references to the character's fear and loneliness, and the anticipation of the unknown.

Step-by-step explanation:

The author uses various text portions to create tension and evoke a sense of loneliness and fear. Specifically, in the provided excerpts, tension is built through the description of the vast, empty world (as in excerpt 2), the overwhelming silence and feeling of dread (as in the multiple examples of hearing a sound or fear in the darkness), and the anticipation of danger or the unknown (given the detailed emotional reactions to various night-time stimuli). Direct references to the character's emotions, such as fear, loneliness, and apprehension, enhance the tense atmosphere, as do vivid descriptions of the setting that underline the character's vulnerability and the uncertainty of their situation.