Suspension of Disbelief

“Suspension of Disbelief” An author can encourage us to “suspend our disbelief” or purposely discourage us to do so. A good example would be the way an author describes something to us. For example, if an author vividly describes an event, a setting, or a character this would be effective in “suspending” the reader’s disbelief. I thought Edgar Allan Poe did a very good job in “the Tel-Tale Heart,” of suspending disbelief. The one …

…us to avoid our “suspension of disbelief.” The reason an author will use tactics to suspend or unsuspended our disbelief is clear. It ties into the way the author wants us to perceive the story. An author may want us to have room or use our imagination, therefore, holding back all specific details. Or, it could be that the author wants us to see the story no other way than he does, therefore, providing specifics.