Hamza: Surprise

        In the works of Mark Twain, Philip K Dick, and Kurt Vonnegut, exist the element of surprise. Without any surprise, isn’t any excitement, without any excitement, exists an overwhelmingly dull story. A reader must inhibit expectations, predicted thoughts about the plot, whether it being right or wrong, then truly it will become an absorbent story to the reader. Examples of expectations and predicted moments from the reader occur in all these narratives from these short stories.

        Mark Twain’s examples include the bad little boy and the good little boy. In many occurrences throughout the story, it is the narrator describing different outcomes and expectations, thus creating an element of surprise through a 3rd person perspective. A prime example is with the bad boy becoming a well-respected member of his village and a legislature. The reader inhibits thoughts and predictions of character development. Assuming the bad little boy has gone through some change in his character and expect that as a conclusion.This juvenalian and surreal surprise comes out of nowhere, bringing the reader in complete disbelief of the characters drastic change in character and for his family unfortunately who were all axed.

   In the good little boy, there is also this existing juvenalian and surreal surprise to the reader. The reader goes through the plot expecting the misfortunes to stop happening to poor little Jacob. But a sign of disbelief goes away after Jacob dies in an absurd manner. After all his misfortunes and difficulty to be the ideal version of himself, the surprising element exists when he enters heaven which concludes the story.

   In most mystery-thriller narratives, there often exists a surprise element creating higher tensions in the plot. This high tension through surprise is seen in the short story Paycheck. In many moments we see a surprise through his ability to remember what to do with the items put in his pockets and to overcome those struggles. Surprises like those have no effect to the tension of the story, usually just making it flow and keeping the reader hooked. However, a moment of raising tensions is exemplified through Rachel’s moment of betrayal. A surprise like this from a character who we see as helpful and kind from the start of the story changes the reader’s expectations drastically.

   Kurt Vonnegut uses surprise through a romantic stage in “Who Am I this Time”. In the final moments of the story, we see Helene attempt to express her true feelings to Harry by making him read Romeo and Juliet. And from the reader’s point of view, we see Harry as an introverted and antisocial type, an individual who isn’t particularly interested in romance off the stage. Then as they both read Romeo and Juliet together, we see a break in Harry’s introverted character, which changes the reader’s expectation of what his response to Helene will be.