Gabe Walker
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a story or situation, often dangerous or of great importance, where two opposite results are possible and you do not know what the result will be until the last moment: The polls are too close to call, and it looks like this election is going to be a real cliffhanger.
- What Is A Cliffhanger?
- Cliffhanger Examples in Everyday Life
- Examples of Cliffhanger in Literature
- Function of Cliffhanger
Cliffhanger Definition
Cliffhangers are commonly used in plots of stories, movies, television episodes, etc. A cliffhanger is when a narrative, or part of a narrative, ends in an unresolved and often sudden manner. This typically creates shock and/or suspense for readers or audiences so that they are driven to continue reading or watching to find out what happens. A cliffhanger can appear at the end of a full story or at the conclusionof a chapter or scene.
Use of Cliffhanger in Literature
Writers use cliffhangers in literature for many reasons, including to create: 1. Plottwist 2. unexpected revelation 3. elevated conflict 4. reader suspense and anticipation 5. sequel or serial publication Cliffhanger is an effective literary device in creating memorable and dramatic moments for readers. Cliffhangers can also keep readers engaged with material beyond the completion of an individual story or novel.
Cliffhanger examples in television series are abundant. Episodes of TV series end during moments of high drama in order to ensure the following of viewers in the next episode. One famous example is the TV series Lost, which ended almost every episode with a cliffhanger. Commercial breaks compel writers to include a cliffhangers in the plotbefore ea...
Example #1: One Thousand and One Nights
Cliffhanger has its roots in ancient oriental literature. One example is in the collection of stories known as One Thousand and One Nights, in which the king Shehreyar orders his queen Scheherzade to be hanged. She devises a plan to tell a story to the king every night, ending that story with a cliffhanger. The king postponed the order of execution every day to hear the rest of the story.
Example #2: A Pair of Blue Eyes
The term “cliffhanger” seems to get its name from the Thomas Hardy’s novel A Pair of Blue Eyes, which was published in a magazine in a series format, with a chapter published every month. At the end of one of the episodes, Hardy left his main character, Henry Knight, hanging onto a cliff, staring at the stony eyes of a fossil embedded in rocks below. Since then, every abrupt end has been termed a “cliffhanger.”
Example #3: The Tempest
William Shakespeare could not afford for his audience to be bored, and for this reason he uses a cliffhanger in Act 1, Scene 1 of his play The Tempest. The scene of a storm and shipwreck is depicted in a most vivid manner, but the audience is unsure if anybody on the ship has survived. The device is employed with the purpose that the audience will return to see the next act. Finally, the fate of the crew on board is revealed in Act 2, Scene 1 and the focus of the audience is ensured by that t...
By nature, man is a curious creature. Cliffhangers in any form of literature appeal to our curiosity. The main purpose of employing this device is to maintain suspense in the plot in order to ensure the interest and focus of the readers. It acts as bait to lead the readers from one part of the text to another with more interest than before. Cliffha...
A cliffhanger or cliffhanger ending is a plot device in fiction which features a main character in a precarious or difficult dilemma or confronted with a shocking revelation at the end of an episode or a film of serialized fiction. A cliffhanger is hoped to incentivize the audience to return to see how the characters resolve the dilemma.
Sep 3, 2021 · Known as a cliffhanger, this plot device marks the end of a section of a narrative with the express purpose of keeping audiences engaged in the story. It’s a familiar feeling: Minute 59 of an hour-long television episode and the protagonist is about to face the villain—and the episode cuts to black, ending with “to be continued.”
A cliffhanger is a device that creates suspense by leaving unanswered questions at the end of a story or episode. Learn how to use cliffhangers in literature, TV, comics and more with examples from George R.R. Martin, Batman and LOST.
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1. : an adventure serial or melodrama. especially : one presented in installments each ending in suspense. 2. : a contest whose outcome is in doubt up to the very end. broadly : a suspenseful situation. cliff-hanging. ˈklif-ˌhaŋ-iŋ. adjective. Synonyms. hair-raiser. nail-biter. suspenser. thriller. See all Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus.
Learn the meaning of cliffhanger, a word that describes a story or situation with an uncertain outcome. Find out how to use it in sentences and see translations in different languages.
