Gothic

Read the excerpt from a short story. The Sonoran Desert route was his favorite. His friends were surprised he could endure the solitude of it, but he cherished the barren miles. Today he'd passed a mile of verbena in full bloom, followed by ten miles with nothing but sagebrush. The next leg promised cliffs, and he loved to imagine scaling them as he traversed the desolate highway. In fact, one was rising in the distance, and the highway would bear right around it. He looked down to cool the temperature, looked up again, and stared. The grill of a tractor trailer, in his lane, was bearing down upon him. How does the excerpt exemplify the ideas King describes in "Danse Macabre"?

Read the excerpt from a short story. I descended the steps to the cellar, reminding myself that the smell of dirt was not to be feared. The earthen walls shone with moisture, and the rows of jarred fruit gleamed. I loathed these errands and doubted my ability to discern a peach from a pear in the dim light. I held a jar inches from my eyes and concluded it was some undesirable green—beans or peas—to be retrieved at a later date. As I mused, something crept stealthily from the shadows, and pounced unexpectedly from the summer's stash. Which best describes the tone of the excerpt?

Read the excerpt from a short story. After two hours of a tedious cinematic production, the dim aisle lights flickered back on. Having endured scenes of fake gore and the phony distress of deficient actors, I stood to leave with a measure of relief. I would breathe easy in the open air, away from the greasy odors and the sniffling man whose cough had noisily barked over the on-screen dialogue. My steps slowed as the queue of exiting patrons jammed the aisles. Then the sliver of light from the exit door went dark. The theater was briefly silent, and I heard the unmistakable sound of a deadbolt locking. What technique does the author use to build suspense in the excerpt?

Read the excerpt from a short story. The beach teemed with tourists from boardwalk to shore. A canopy of colorful umbrellas covered the sand. Each was preoccupied with his own happy task, and none noticed the figure as it emerged from the surf. Its skin was blistered and raw, and it lumbered awkwardly in the foam. Its hideous eyes hungrily appraised the masses. How does the excerpt exemplify the ideas King describes in "Danse Macabre"?

Read the excerpt from "The Adventure of the Mysterious Picture." I began to undress, but in spite of every effort I could not keep myself from stealing a glance every now and then at the picture; and a glance was now sufficient to distress me. Even when my back was turned to it, the idea of this strange face behind me, peering over my shoulder, was insufferable. I threw off my clothes and hurried into bed; but still this visage gazed upon me. What effect does the tone of the excerpt have on the reader?

Read the excerpt from a short story. From the porch, the cabin looked as quaint and rustic as the website had promised. I hoisted my duffel to my hip, unlocked the door with the key I'd been sent, and stepped into the warm air of the mountain home. The floorboards creaked a welcome as I investigated. I admired the piney living room, noting the stone hearth and the dappled afternoon light on the walls. Then I made my way toward the sole bedroom at the end of the hall. I glanced at the eyelet bedcover, the mantle clock, and the antique mirror. Wait. I glanced again at the mirror and impulsively brushed my hair from my eyes, balking at the coloring of the wayward wisps. How could it be? My hand touched my skin—the image I faced was a much older version of myself. I backed away, watching my wrinkled face retreat. I tripped on the doorjamb, stubbed my toe on an errant nail, and nearly toppled over my own luggage as I lunged for the door. What technique does the author use to build suspense in the excerpt?

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?

Read the excerpt from "The Adventure of the Mysterious Picture." The expression was that of agony—the agony of intense bodily pain; but a menace scowled upon the brow, and a few sprinklings of blood added to its ghastliness. Yet it was not all these characteristics—it was some horror of the mind, some inscrutable antipathy awakened by this picture, which harrowed up my feelings. What technique does Irving use to build suspense in the excerpt?

Read the excerpt from a short story. They had laughed at the shabbiness of the hotel. "Oh well," they'd said, "we aren't going to spend any time inside." And they had not. They'd spent the day and evening sightseeing and had not retreated to their rooms until they were spent. Now Ana appraised her modest accommodations, remembering how the window in her room had amused her friends, as it offered a view of a brick wall not six inches away. "You get what you pay for!" they'd exclaimed, closing the heavy curtains. The window captured Ana's attention again. As she readied for bed, she heard a persistent tapping coming from outside. Ana reasoned with herself, reminded herself that only small bird or bug in distress could fit in such a space. The tapping suggested otherwise, and she turned to investigate. How does the excerpt exemplify the ideas King describes in "Danse Macabre"?

Read the excerpt from "The Adventure of the Mysterious Picture." How was this vile nervous fit, for such I now persuaded myself it was, to be conquered? I determined to force myself not to look at the painting but to undress quickly and get into bed. I began to undress, but in spite of every effort I could not keep myself from stealing a glance every now and then at the picture; and a glance was now sufficient to distress me. Even when my back was turned to it, the idea of this strange face behind me, peering over my shoulder, was insufferable. How does the excerpt exemplify Gothic fiction?