In Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, as in so many horror stories and movies, the central horror is mostly kept out of sight. In Part I, Chapter V – the chapter immediately following the animation of the monster – there is no mention of the monster whatsoever. The withholding of the very thing that most greatly interests the reader creates a feeling of urgency and suspense. The amplification of interest by withholding is a technique that can be used in any genre.
A TIME TO WITHHOLD
A TIME TO WITHHOLD
A TIME TO WITHHOLD
In Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, as in so many horror stories and movies, the central horror is mostly kept out of sight. In Part I, Chapter V – the chapter immediately following the animation of the monster – there is no mention of the monster whatsoever. The withholding of the very thing that most greatly interests the reader creates a feeling of urgency and suspense. The amplification of interest by withholding is a technique that can be used in any genre.