The Correct Answer and Explanation is:
Based on the text provided in the image, the correct answer is: foreshadowing an event that is about to happen.
Here is a detailed explanation:
The author effectively builds tension in this paragraph by employing the literary device of foreshadowing. Foreshadowing is a technique used to give the reader a hint or warning of a future event in the story, thereby creating anticipation and suspense.
In the excerpt, the narrator is completely absorbed in a moment of scientific discovery, watching the “hideous little monsters break from their shells.” This focus acts as a crucial misdirection, both for the narrator in the story and for the reader’s attention. The author initially sets a scene of wonder and revulsion, but the tone shifts dramatically with the narrator’s retrospective commentary.
The key to the tension lies in the final clause: “I failed to note the approach of a score of full-grown Martians from behind me.” This statement does not describe the confrontation itself but rather signals its imminent occurrence. It creates a powerful sense of dramatic irony, as the reader is now aware of a grave danger that the narrator, at that moment in the past, was oblivious to. The knowledge that a large group of adult Martians is creeping up on the unsuspecting narrator creates a strong feeling of unease and suspense.
The narrator’s admission of being “given but little time to speculate” and having “failed to note” the danger confirms that something significant and likely perilous is about to interrupt the scene. By explicitly telling the reader about the approaching threat without revealing the outcome, the author leaves the reader in a state of high anticipation, anxious to find out what happens next. This masterful use of foreshadowing transforms a moment of discovery into a moment of extreme peril, making the passage incredibly tense.
