Suspense is that which maintains a state of tension in a certain situation.
Suspense is that which maintains the expectation about a resolution or the state of tension in a certain situation . In the field of art , it is a resource also known as suspense that seeks the impatient expectation of the spectator or reader for the development of an action .
Suspense, from the Latin suspensus , is experienced when one does not know what will happen to the characters in a work and, therefore, particular attention is paid to the development of the conflict. The resource is often used in police or horror films or books.
For suspense to exist, the participation of the audience is necessary, and the audience must be involved in the events. The author must suggest clues about the possible outcome of the conflict, so that the spectator or reader can infer or assume what is about to happen. The resolution of the plot, finally, must be carried out in a logical manner and in accordance with the verisimilitude of the genre .
Suspense in different works
For example, a famous suspense scene takes place in Alfred Hitchcock 's film Psycho , when the killer slowly approaches the shower where the protagonist is bathing. The combination of close-ups and the soundtrack created a great atmosphere of suspense, which is completed by the screams of the murdered woman and the blood.
In addition to the aforementioned filmmaker, there are many other directors throughout the history of the seventh art who have become true magicians of suspense. This would be the case, for example, of Wes Craven , who brought the famous saga “Scream” to the big screen; M. Night Shyamalan , with films such as “The Sixth Sense” or “The Village” ; and Brian De Palma with productions such as “Carrie” .
However, we cannot overlook the fact that suspense is not only present in cinema but also in literature. In this case, we should highlight the figure of Agatha Christie, the British writer who earned the nickname of “lady of suspense” .
She developed an extensive bibliography based on novels that revolved around murders and crimes of various kinds that were investigated by some of her best-known characters such as Miss Marple or Hercule Poirot . Among her most significant works is “And Then There Were None” .
Suspense can be associated with a lack of resolution or an indefiniteness.
The term in education
One of the areas in which the term we are analyzing is most used is in education . It is used to refer to those exams taken by students who have not achieved a passing grade. This will mean that students will have to take a subsequent test in order to pass the corresponding subject.
A sentence that can serve as an example of this last meaning would be the following: "Eva has failed again in Mathematics despite the fact that she had studied a lot this time."
Finally, something that is on hold is something that has had its fulfillment or resolution deferred : “The trip will be on hold until grandpa improves his health,” “The salary cut forces us to put the purchase of the car on hold.”