Considering and emulating Tolkien's use of a cliffhanger in 'The Two Towers'
I can consider how Tolkien uses onomatopoeia, sentence fragments and short sentences to craft an effective cliffhanger.
Considering and emulating Tolkien's use of a cliffhanger in 'The Two Towers'
I can consider how Tolkien uses onomatopoeia, sentence fragments and short sentences to craft an effective cliffhanger.
These resources will be removed by end of Summer Term 2025.
Lesson details
Key learning points
- A writer might use a cliffhanger to create tension or subvert the reader's expectations around resolutions.
- Tolkien uses sentence fragments and simple sentences to create an abrupt tone.
- Furthermore, Tolkien uses onomatopoeia and plosive sounds to add to the tension.
- By ending on the provocative word "Enemy", Tolkien leaves the reader with a heightened sense of unease.
Keywords
Cliffhanger - a plot device in which an element of a story is left unresolved
Tension - mental or emotional strain
Unresolved - not settled, solved or brought to resolution
Provocative - likely to arouse a strong reaction
Abrupt - sudden and unexpected
Common misconception
That cliffhangers are only designed to make the reader carry on reading.
Cliffhangers can entice the reader to continue reading, but they can also create tension and subvert the reader's expectations.
Equipment
You need a copy of the 2022 HarperCollins Publishers edition of 'The Two Towers' by J. R. R. Tolkien for this lesson.
Content guidance
- Depiction or discussion of violence or suffering
Supervision
Adult supervision recommended
Licence
This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2024), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).
Lesson video
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