STRANGE AND MYSTERIOUS
STORY ELEMENTS
The most beautiful thing we can experience
is the mysterious. It is the source of all true
art and science.
-Albert Einstein
TALES OF THE STRANGE AND MYSTERIOUS
Strange:
TALES OF THE STRANGE AND MYSTERIOUS
Strange: something that is
unfamiliar or out of the ordinary.
Mysterious:
TALES OF THE STRANGE AND MYSTERIOUS
Strange: something that is
unfamiliar or out of the ordinary.
Mysterious: something that is
difficult or impossible to explain.
TALES OF THE STRANGE AND MYSTERIOUS
“The Raven”
“The Tell-Tale Heart”
“Annabel Lee”
“The Fall of the
House of Usher”
STRANGE & MYSTERIOUS STORY
ELEMENTS
SUSPENSE: The uncertainty
or anxiety that a reader feels
about what will happen next
in a story, novel or drama
STRANGE & MYSTERIOUS STORY
ELEMENTS
4 Elements of SUSPENSE:
1. Foreshadowing:
STRANGE & MYSTERIOUS STORY
ELEMENTS
4 Elements of SUSPENSE:
1. Foreshadowing: The use of
clues or hints to suggest events
that will occur later in the plot.
STRANGE & MYSTERIOUS STORY
ELEMENTS
4 Elements of SUSPENSE:
2. Mystery: something that is
difficult or impossible to explain.
STRANGE & MYSTERIOUS STORY
ELEMENTS
4 Elements of SUSPENSE:
3. Dilemma: a difficult or puzzling
situation where the character must
choose a dangerous course of
action.
STRANGE & MYSTERIOUS STORY
ELEMENTS
4 Elements of SUSPENSE:
4. Reversal: a sudden change
in a character’s situation from
good to bad, or vice versa.
STRANGE & MYSTERIOUS STORY
ELEMENTS
Identify:
1. Foreshadowing:
2. Mystery:
3. Dilemma:
4. Reversal:
Watch "The Tell-Tale Heart" on YouTube
STRANGE & MYSTERIOUS STORY
ELEMENTS
MOOD
the feeling a reader
gets from the story.
STRANGE & MYSTERIOUS STORY
ELEMENTS
Creating a mysterious MOOD:
Expressing character’s
fears through thoughts &
feelings.
STRANGE & MYSTERIOUS STORY
ELEMENTS
Creating a mysterious MOOD:
Producing vivid
descriptions of sights and
sounds.
STRANGE & MYSTERIOUS STORY
ELEMENTS
Creating a mysterious
MOOD:
Repeating words,
phrases or actions.
STRANGE & MYSTERIOUS VOCABULARY
alibi – n. a person used as another’s excuse.
deduction – n. process of drawing a conclusion based on evidence/clues
façade – n. a false front or appearance
STRANGE & MYSTERIOUS VOCABULARY
hunch – n. a suspicion or guess
intercept – v. to take or cut off from the intended destination
investigation – n. a search or examination for facts or clues.
STRANGE & MYSTERIOUS VOCABULARY
motive – n. something that causes a person to act a certain way or do a certain thing.
oppressive – adj. unjustly harsh
rapacious – adj. extremely greedy
STRANGE & MYSTERIOUS VOCABULARY
red herring – n. a distraction from the real problem
sinister – adj. evil; wicked, dishonest
sleuth – n. a detective or private eye
STRANGE & MYSTERIOUS VOCABULARY
tantalizing – adj. teasing by withholding something; tempting
victim – n. a person who suffers from a disaster or injury
witness – n. one who sees or watches
STRANGE & MYSTERIOUS STORY
ELEMENTS
Creating Suspense & Mystery:
Use of irony: A contrast
between expectation and
reality.