Harper Lee creates tension by using characterization and
diction to begin. Scout our narrator notes about Jem that "He sounded
fishy". The boys want to go get a glimpse of Boo and they use their
male superiority to make Scout feel like she doesn't have to do it if she is scared.
They also try to keep it a secret for awhile. Anytime an author can keep a secret from
the audience makes us wonder what it is too.
Lee uses
sounds (sensory detail) in the porch swings creaking and the old people on the street
groaning. Then she uses sights at the Radleys' house: a loose shutter, and a "hat-rack
mirror [that] caught the moon and shone eerily".
Lee also
uses time. For Scout, they moved so slow that every move felt like it took her an entire
minute. When things take longer, this builds suspense, and therefore
tension.
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