Opening of Enduring Love by Ian Mcewan

475 Words2 Pages
In the opening of Enduring Love by Ian McEwan he builds narrative tension and creates a sense of foreboding by the first sentence being ''The beginning was simple to mark'' this makes the reader question the beginning of what? it's also a short senstence which draws you in and leaves you wanting to carry on reading. Mcewan then forshadowes bad things about to happen by the narrator saying ''We were in sunlight under a turkey oak'' the fact that they were shading from the sun which is meant to represent hope and happiness shows they are going to find themselves in trouble later in the extract. Also by writing in first person McEwan allows the reader feel more involved as the action unfolds. Mcewan also describes it as a ''pin prick on the time map'' the metaphor creates an element of tension as the reader is not sure what to expect. McEwan also writes ''We turned to look across the field and saw the danger. Next thing, i was running towards it.'' This is used to show that the narrator and Clarissa were literally running towards the danger and makes the reader think what the danger might be, therefore creating suspence and a sense of foreboding. The writer again suggests the sense of running into the danger by saying ''Sprinting away from our happiness among the fresh spring grasses by the oak'' Mcewan suggests again how they are running away from any bit of safety, happiness they might of had and the beautiful connotations of nature: the 'grass' and the 'oak' to something much more threatening and unknown. McEwan mentions 'a childs cry' further trying to create tension as childrens cry's are known to be the worst and most ear shattering this could signify that there might be something bad about to happen as the thought of a child hurt or in danger may unnerve the reader and cause anxiety. The writer continues to build narrative tension when he writes ''four
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