Suspense In Narrative

Since narratology came into being in the 20th century, the study of narrative works has entered a new stage. Up to now, the suspense study from the point of view of narrative works is far from complete or systematic. This thesis tends to explore suspense from this perspective so as to appreciate suspense in narration and apply it in narrating. The whole thesis is composed of four parts.Part One: the forming characteristics of suspense. At the outset, the author sums up the basic forming characteristics of suspense and then classifies the common forming characteristics or the concrete forms of forming characteristics appeared in the narrative works.Part Two: types of suspense. In order to show different characters and functions of suspense, the author has classified suspense of narrative into six categories: partial suspense and the suspense that sweeps across the whole text; thematic and non-thematic suspense; chronological or non-chronological suspense; close and open suspense; consequent and inconsequent suspense, prescribed and indefinite suspense.Part Three: the relationships between suspense and foreshadowing and between sudden conversion and good organization. Sudden conversion and good organization as well as suspense and foreshcidowing belong to discourse arrangement of a narrative work and are closely related. When plotting a suspense, one can make use of foreshadowing or conversion either to raise a question or to supply an answer. In suspense, good organization is embodies when a raised problem is worked out in the end. But to some suspending ideas, even though questions are raised, no solution can be found in the end.Suspense of this kind occurs often out of the consideration of its artistic result.Part Four: the function of suspense in narration. It is conducted from three aspects. From the perspective of narrative reception, suspense is considered one of the most effective ways to stimulate reading; from the narrating point of view, suspense makes narration more "lively" and more interesting; from a narrative' s readers point of view, suspense brings its readers special aesthetic appreciation experiences.