One way that authors create suspense is by carefully controlling the point of view of a story. For example, the author may tell the story from the limited point of view of the main character. The character has much at stake in the outcome of the events, but he or she doesn't have all the details about what is going on. If the narrator doesn't know what's going to happen, then neither does the reader.
The story "The Woman in the Brown Dress" is told from the point of view of the main character, Laila. Laila is shopping in a grocery store when she starts to feel as if someone is watching her. As you read the passage below, think about what Laila knows--and doesn't know--about her situation.
Glancing up from her cart, then, she noticed a woman looking at her. As soon as their eyes met, the woman, who was dressed entirely in brown, quickly turned away and rolled her shopping cart around the corner to the next aisle.
Weird, Laila thought. I could have sworn I saw that same woman looking at me before.
In truth, Laila had had the oddest feeling of being watched ever since she'd come into the store. But that was just silly. She hadn't seen any familiar faces, and since she had only recently moved into the neighborhood, it was unlikely that anyone would recognize her. Sure, some guy might be checking her out, but guys usually weren't subtle about doing that. And besides, she hadn't noticed many young guys in the store today, and she generally had pretty good radar.
Laila moved to the next aisle and selected several kinds of pasta for her cart. She was comparing jars of sauce when she suddenly had that feeling of being watched again. She looked up and down the aisle, but saw only a young mother with her three-year-old and an elderly couple.
She shook her head. You're getting paranoid, she told herself. A moment later, though, she was sure she'd caught a glimpse of a brown dress. Frowning, Laila pushed her cart down the aisle and turned the corner. Near the end of the next aisle, she saw the woman again, carefully studying a box of breakfast cereal.
Question
How does the narrator's limited point of view create suspense in this passage?
Because Laila doesn't know who is watching her, readers don't either. We are left to wonder, along with Laila, who is watching her and why. We are given only small details as Laila notices them: A woman in a brown dress for some reason seems to be following Laila.
