o The opening chapter of Nostromo is a masterpiece of
exposition, consisting mainly of a long, evocative description
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Conrad relates a local legend about two foreigners who, years
ago, ventured onto a remote peninsula in search of some
legendary buried gold and were never heard from again.
According to the legend, the ghosts of the two foreigners are
still guarding the treasure they discovered: “Their souls cannot
tear themselves away from their bodies.”Baldwin, *LRYDQQL¶V5RRP.
Conrad, Nostromo.
Gardner, 7KH$UWRI)LFWLRQ.
Jackson, “The Lottery.”
Morrison, %HORYHG.
Munro, “The Beggar Maid.”
O’Connor, “A Good Man Is Hard to Find.”
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passage of suspense. If you want to use a ticking bomb, you can, but
the scene doesn’t have to be violent—in fact, it can be a ticking bomb
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Brad. In the surprise version, you might tell it from Brad’s point of view,
in which case Sarah’s announcement that she wants a divorce is as much
as a surprise to the reader as it is to Brad. But you might also tell it from
Sarah’s point of view, in which case the reader would know from the
start that she wants a divorce, and the scene becomes one of suspense as
we wait anxiously for Brad to learn the truth.
Suggested ReadingWriting Exercise