Elements of Fiction in Dandelion Wine

Easily mistaken Imagine, a defeater is on the loose in your own township and he is receiven for murdering upstart woman in the ravine that splits the town in half. You and your friends decide to go see a movie and you know that by the time that you make taboo out it will be dark and youll pose to walk tear the ravine to your ho habit all alone, which earlier that day your own friend was found dead in, what do you do? This is the decision Lavinia Nebbs is faced with in the book Dandelion Wine by Ray Bradbury.Many elements in the narration create lots of suspense three would be conniption, foreshadowing and characterization. The setting played a extensive role in the success of the suspense in the story. Since the ravine where the bodies were found split the town, Lavinia was forced to cross it to get phratry since she decided to not stay with her friends and her arctic was questioned. The ravine was deep black and black black And the arena was gone behind, the world of s afe people in bed, the locked doors, the town, the drugstore, the theater, the lights, everything was gone (73).The words use to describe this dark, lonesome ravine makes the reader feel as if they were right there standing with Lavinia seeing, hearing and feeling everything thats dismissal on, along with whats in her head. Its scary to think of being alone with not a soul in sight and knowing that theres possibly a killer out there just waiting. Lavinia Nebb walked alone down the midnight street, down the late summer silence. She saw houses with dark windows and out-of-the-way(prenominal) away heard a dog barking (72).This is also a good example of the description of the setting because the reader can tell how alone she really was do to no one else in town indispensablenessing to go out at night with the nonsocial iodin roaming around. It sounds almost like Lavinia is in a deserted town with just her and the ravine. The way Bradbury incorporated nature into the setting also gave it a petty(a) more of a spooky feel. The crickets were listening. The night was listening to her. For a change all of the off the beaten track(predicate) summer-night meadows and close summer trees were suspending motion (75). This use of personification creates a feeling of uncertainty for the reader.The way that he gives the plants and animals human like qualities and says they are listening to her makes the night sound up to now more gloomy and eerie. The use of foreshadowing also helped to create suspense in the story. At the beginning of the story when the neighbors said wint catch us out on no night like this, not with the Lonely One strangling women. Lock ourselves up in our closets with a gun (64). It gives the reader a little bit of an idea of what might come up in the story, even so though the Lonely One only usually strikes once a month and their friend Elizabeth was already found that day.Also knowing that Lavinia will be paseo home alone, it causes the reader to worry if shell make it home alive or not. then when they were all at the theater and the manager asks them to leave as soon as the movie was all over sounded a little suspicious as well. The patrol have asked us to close early this night so everyone can be out at a decent hour (69). This shows that even the police know that anything is possible with a murderer and they dont just have a limited time that they can or cant commit a murder so they want everyone in town to be safe. Yet even this doesnt stop Lavinia from wanting to walk home alone.The ladies didnt listen to the manager either, instead of going straight home they stopped by the drug store on the way. Man sitting at the counter watched you walk out. Said to me Whos that? wherefore thats Lavinia Nebbs, prettiest maiden lady in town, I said (69). The store manager also told Lavinia and her friends that the funny asked where she lived and he told him where. Its assumable that this stranger could quite possibly be th e Lonely One and even with that sight in mind Lavinia still decides shell be okay walking alone with full knowledge that a stranger, possibly a killer, knows where shell be.The last element that created suspense in the story was characterization. The main character Lavinia was represent as a fearless, risk taker, whos overly confident and has no common sense. She felt also safe in a town with a murderer running around and her careless actions could have cost her life. Its early. Lonely One wont be out til late. (65). This is a bring up from Lavinia herself, which alone proves her stupidity. A murderer doesnt just have a certain time that they insure to see and make sure its not too late or early, if they want to kill someone theyll do it no matter the time.It wasnt smart of her to just assume that he wouldnt be out early, especially if it was still dark even though it wasnt that late in the day. Lonely One wont kill three ladies, said Lavinia, Theres safety in numbers (68). Sh e uses the saying theres safety in numbers when she knows eventually she would be walking alone, therefore she completely contradicts herself. Just to be walking down a ravine alone at night takes no common sense let alone doing it when your own friend just got bump off there and a stranger asked who you are and where you live.She also puts on a fearless act when shes around her friends but when it came down to her being alone and scared her thoughts ate away at her. Oh drivel the police, laughed Lavinia, Im not afraid of anything (70). She says that she isnt afraid but the second shes walking alone down the ravine she catches herself almost running down the steps and swears that she hears someone following her. She then even starts praying to God, and panicking, saying that shell never do that again if he just lets her live. Yet when she was with her friends it was as if there was nothing wrong at all.The fact that the story takes place in a town split by a ravine, the hints tha t the author gives, and how the main character Lavinia changes her attitude completely throughout the story created suspense in Dandelion Wine. The ravine was scary because it was so dark, long and empty, also the murders had been committed in it. The foreshadowing the author used put different thoughts in the readers mind of who could be the killer and if Lavinia was going to be the next victim. Also, the decisions she made by not staying with her friends and walking home alone made you wonder if she would even make it there..