Question

Now, use the evidence gathered in part A to write a two-paragraph analysis about how Desai uses structure to create

tension in "Games at Twilight." Write one paragraph explain how tension is created in the rising action and a second
paragraph about how tension is created in the climax. Be sure to revise your work to include phrases and correct spelling
before you submit your work.
TIP: If needed, review how to structure a good analysis paragraph.
Review the rubric to ensure your response meets expectations.
Claim on
Effects of
Structure
Revision of
Analysis
Mastery
Includes a precise claim and cites
relevant textual evidence that
shows the author's use of
structure
Uses phrases to incorporate
details in the commentary that
help explain the impact of
structure. No spelling errors.
Approaching
Includes a claim that does not clearly
connect to the task and cites textual
evidence that is not relevant to
understanding the text's meaning.
Developing
Lacks an accurate claim.
Lacks textual evidence.
Explains the use of structure but lacks a Lacks a clear or connected
explanation of the use
strong connection to its impact on
structure to create tension.
tension. Almost no spelling errors.
Many spelling errors.

Answer 1

In "Games at Twilight," Anita Desai uses the narrative structure to build tension over the course of the story. At the beginning of the rising action, the tension builds as the children argue over who will be "It" in a game of hide-and-seek. The children function as a mob, rather than a group of individuals, but soon individual characters begin to emerge from the mob. Now the conflict shifts to focus on Raghu who, when picked to be "it," cruelly kicks the smaller Manu. The author uses this interaction to build tension by showing that Raghu is a menacing bully who may not be kind to the children when he finds them. Soon after this event, the conflict shifts again and now the focus is on Ravi. Frightened of Raghu, Ravi desperately search for a place to hide. "Where could he burrow?" asks the narrator, giving voice to Ravi's anxiety. The author continues to build tension by presenting complications that Ravi must overcome in order to hide. For example, the author explains that Ravi can't hide in the garage because he's not "tall enough, big enough to reach the key" and open the garage door. Next to the garage Ravi sees a decrepit shed. The author describes the shed as a "dark and depressing mortuary of defunct household goods, seething with…unspeakable and alarming animal life." Here the author increases the tension by forcing Ravi to choose between two unpleasant options: getting tagged, and possibly treated badly, by Raghu and hiding in the horrid shed. The tension continues to rise in small increments as Ravi deals with the odor in the shed, "the shed smelled like rats," and the cold, slimy, tickly creatures he senses around him. At one point, the author explains that Ravi wonders "if it would not be better to be captured by Raghu." Soon after this, Ravi hears "the despairing scream of one of the girls as Raghu bore down upon her," and he decides "to hold out a bit longer." For several paragraphs, the tension plateaus as Ravi contemplates the glory of winning, but then the author begins to build the tension more sharply when Ravi realizes the game might be over. The author speeds up the pace as she presents Ravi's remorseful thoughts about forgetting to run back to the veranda. By the end of the rising action, the author has narrowed the conflict to focus on Ravi and whether he can still win the game. At this point in the story, the idea that Ravi would lose the game seems tragic to the reader, meaning tension is created by the reader's desire for Ravi to win.

The climax of the story is only a single paragraph, but the author continues to build tension in this short span of action by describing Ravi's clumsy journey from the shed to the veranda. First Ravi bursts out of the shed, then he falls, then he stumbles stiffly. The details delay Ravi's arrival at the veranda, where he bursts with rage and pity instead of taking a victory lap. The short scene plays out like a slow-motion replay of a terrible fumble in the crucial moment of a football game. Anita Desai skillfully uses the structure of the plot to build tension in "Games at Twilight."

Explanation: PLATO

Answer 2

In "Games at Twilight" by Anita Desai, the author employs a carefully crafted structure to build tension throughout the narrative. During the rising action of the story, tension is masterfully created through the use of foreshadowing and the gradual buildup of anticipation. Desai introduces the game of hide-and-seek, a seemingly innocent childhood activity, and as the children engage in it, she skillfully hints at the consequences that might await the protagonist, Ravi, when he is chosen as the seeker. This foreshadowing plants the seeds of anxiety in the reader's mind, making each moment of Ravi's pursuit more suspenseful. As the other children find their hiding spots, Ravi's desperation and frustration increase, and the structure allows the tension to mount steadily, culminating in the climactic moment.

In the climax of the story, Desai's structural choices come to fruition, creating a powerful and emotional impact. As Ravi discovers the reality of his situation, being left in the dark storage shed as the other children forget about him, the tension reaches its peak. The structure accentuates the isolation and fear that Ravi experiences, as his world becomes confined to the tiny shed. The reader is drawn into the emotional turmoil of the character, feeling the intensity of the moment as if they were trapped alongside him. In this way, Desai's use of structure, from the initial foreshadowing to the climactic isolation, masterfully builds and sustains tension, making "Games at Twilight" a compelling exploration of childhood emotions and experiences.

Step-by-step explanation: