Final answer:
In 'The Somnambulist', suspense is crafted through detailed imagery that conveys the character's fear and mirrored events that symbolize doom, especially with the Roderick and Madeline dynamic, creating a sense of inescapable tension.
Step-by-step explanation:
The author of The Somnambulist effectively creates suspense through the use of vivid details and imagery, as well as strategically placed mirror images and parallel events. Vivid descriptions like the "faint far-away sound" and "hard lump gathered in the pit of his stomach" immerse readers into the character's anxious state. Furthermore, the pairing of characters and events, such as Roderick and Madeline's symbolism of doom and the alignment of a story being read with Madeline's escape from her tomb, amplify the suspense as readers anticipate the outcomes that these mirrored scenarios foreshadow.
Mirror images, like the uncanny similarities between Roderick and Madeline, are used to symbolize and intensify the story's atmosphere of impending doom. This literary technique contributes to the development of a fatalistic theme, making the unfolding events feel inescapable and heightening the overall tension within the narrative. Moreover, the ironic twist of Roderick calling the narrator a 'Madman' as Madeline stands outside the door adds a haunting layer of unpredictability that solidifies the story's suspenseful aura.