Question

Read the excerpt from a short story. I stood against the far wall of the shabby lobby avoiding eye contact with the doorman as my dad checked us in for the night. We’d hoped to make it as far as Scranton, but the weather had interfered, leaving us instead at an eyesore of a truck-stop motel. My ear buds were jammed in as far as comfort would allow in a vain attempt to block out the motel’s vibe. Still, I could not ignore the looming presence of the doorman. He stood in the dim portico, sweeping and re-sweeping a pile of lint on the floor, watching the parking lot with his watery eyes, and occasionally signaling to the whiskered clerk behind the desk. What technique does the author use to build suspense in the excerpt? The pace of the story quickens. An unreliable narrator is introduced. Odd characters are introduced. The setting details are intentionally omitted.

Answer 1

Based on the details in the excerpt, suspense is built by the author when Odd characters are introduced.

Odd Characters in the Excerpt

• The doorman who had watery eyes.
• The clerk who was whiskered.

These two characters had odd characteristics such as watery eyes which made them odd as well. This led to more suspense as odd characters have been known to be accompanied by strange events.

In conclusion, option c is correct.

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