How Does David Simon In Homicide Create Suspense?

David Simon, all throughout Homicide, uses many language techniques to create suspense. He writes in a certain way to drag and bring the audience into the story. Simon makes the audience believe they are the centre of the story, and does that whilst building suspense. I will now explain the language techniques, which Simon uses to create suspense, in further detail.

The first language technique that Simon uses, is writing in second person. In Homicide you are the killer, you are the one who is made to think like a criminal. Writing in second person involves the whole audience. It makes you believe that you are the character in your story, but why? Simon puts all of the “characters problems” onto you, and makes you wonder what you would do in this position. This builds suspense, as you start to ask questions to yourself, and believe that you are in the story. On page 201, the last paragraph Simon says “You have committed a crime of violence”. That instantaneously brings up follow up question to the audience, and the character themselves. Suspense is built because you don’t know what to do, or what is going to happen to you. You ask yourself questions on why you have done what you have done. Suspense is built as second person effect allows the audience believe they have committed that crime, in a real life situation, and how they will pull through it. On page 203 The Miranda Warning, “You have the right to remain silent” you and the audience reading, asks questions that build suspense. It also makes the audience ask big questions for example, what will happen to me next?

Another literal technique that Simon uses is Situational Irony. As you know, you’ve committed a crime. A detective who is trying to get you to confess, and trying to throw you into a dark and lonely jail “comes back and asks if the coffee is okay.” Situational Irony occurs when what actually happens, is the opposite of what is expected or appropriate. So a detective “The man who shouldn’t be mistaken for a friend” asks if the coffee is okay. A character who is trying to punish you for your mistake, and throw you in jail, is being friendly to you. This builds suspense because, it allows the reader to ask question and tamper with the trust of the detective. They ask rhetorical questions like, is he my friend? This builds suspense, because it makes the reader wonder and confused. There is a slowly built friendship,  and tension. You are confused and do not know what decisions to make. Suspense is built due to confusion, and not knowing what to do.

Another way Simon creates suspense is by using Dramatic Irony. “The detective looks up from the form, his eyes soaked with innocence. He came at you huh?” That shows the detectives eyes, are trying to lure you into a trap of trust. When the detective eyes are soaked with innocence you are misled to believe that you have a bond with him. “He came at you huh?” that quotation allows, and fools you to believe that you and him are friends. As if he knows what kind of situation you are in, and he says it as if he has been in the same position. That sentence instantly fools you and gives you a fake bond, it makes you believe he knows what it’s like to be in your shoes. You confess due to believing everything is okay with this detective and say “yeah, he came at me.” The man we warned you not to mistake as a friend, has now betrayed you and accepted your confession and has told you to “Get used to small rooms because you are about to be drop-kicked into the lost land of pre-trial detention.” You have been fooled into believing that this man whom soaked his eyes with innocence, and seemed completely harmless to a point where he made you believe that he is your friend, has now managed to make sure your put in a cell with all the other criminals. That same friend, has compared you to all the other killers and psycho people on earth as your put in a prison with them. What a great friend. Suspense is built as you don’t know what your so called friend is capable of, you confess surely out of trust but what happens next, does he turn you in? Does he help you? That builds suspense because you don’t know what’s going to happen next. Once you confess your heart begins to pound, your palms begin to sweat, and once you realized he has betrayed you, you feel like a fool for being misled and giving a detective your trust so easily. That is how suspense is built.

I conclude that this is how David Simon creates suspense, in the book Homicide.

Joseph Balogun

Joseph –

This is a very clear and analytical piece of literary writing. It would not take many changes to give this credit for the “Literary Essay” achievement. However, when I look at the criteria I see that:

• “Punctuation features are used consistently and correctly and in some instances are used to illuminate the analysis”

Compare this with this sentence:

“Suspense is built as you don’t know what your “friend” is capable of you confess surely out of trust but what happens next does he turn you in?”

Hopefully you can see that this is not yet clear enough. Punctuation will help. You should make revisions to this piece so that it is clearer and pay particular attention to the punctuation. If you do this by Thursday then I will be able to credit you with it for your next assessment.

-RP