How does the narrator’s description of the proclamation’s posting help build suspense? Cite evidence from the story in your response.
Here is the full contex
Flora did not come into the world easily. Five weeks premature, she almost did not survive. It was in the first year of the twentieth century, on the sixth of September, when she was born.
His mother, Shushan, had delivered the new addition to his growing family. “A vision,” she had said, her eyes widening as she handed him his newest daughter. “I see many gifts coming to this child, some in the sunlight and some in the shadow, all showering down from heaven.”
Having heard his mother’s prophecies many times before, Hagop paid little attention to what she had said. He wrapped a blanket around his tiny daughter and handed the swaddled infant to his wife, into her outstretched arms. “She’s frail, Arpi,” he said, “like a delicate flower.”
Arpi placed her new daughter to her breast. “Flora. We shall call her Flora.”
Minutes later, Hagop, with his huge hands, tenderly took the infant, pressed little Flora to his heart, and sang her a song.
Don’t be afraid my sweet little Flora.
Father is here and you will grow strong.
In the days that followed, Arpi’s milk ceased to flow.
Hagop’s mother who understood healing ways said, “Nour, pomegranates. The child needs juice from pomegranates.”
As if lovingly tending to a sick bird, Hagop had fed his tiny daughter drops of an elixir he had made from pomegranates. It saved her life.
His pleasant reverie ended with a clash.
Dust spiraled upward as a soldier on horseback galloped into the square and pulled up short in front of the bakery. Turkish soldiers were a common sight lately, but there was something unusual about this one. He dismounted, strutted toward the small wood-frame building and clutching onto a sheaf of paper, he nailed the paper to the wall, remounted his horse and sped away.
“Something’s happening!” Hagop yelled and bolted out the door. A dozen eyes followed him. Chairs screeched and backgammon boards flew. Everyone was running towards the bakery.
Hagop raced past them. His heart pounding, he scanned the proclamation.
ATTENTION ALL ARMENIANS
ALL ARMENIANS WILL BE MOVED TO THE INTERIOR UNDER ESCORT OF THE TURKISH ARMY. BE PREPARED TO LEAVE WITHIN FIVE DAYS.
YOU MAY TAKE ANY MOVEABLE ITEMS WITH YOU BUT YOU ARE FORBIDDEN TO SELL YOUR HOUSES OR LAND. ALL WEAPONS MUST BE TURNED OVER TO THE GOVERNMENT.
THOSE THAT REFRAIN FROM LEAVING OR TRY TO HIDE WILL BE SHOT.
There was much, much more. The bold, angry words momentarily paralyzed him. He could hardly breathe. He looked at the ashen faces around him and saw shock, disbelief and panic.
Flora was racing toward him. He reached for and grasped her small hand. It was cold. Pulling her close to him, he tried to ease her trembling body and could feel his own legs becoming unsteady and beginning to shake.
“What will happen to us?” The thought raced through his mind over and over again.
The d— war had come to Hadjin.
" … help build suspense." <~~Wow!!
What about those warnings at the end?
Did people go along with them? Or defy them?
The narrator's description of the proclamation's posting helps build suspense in several ways. First, the sudden appearance of the soldier on horseback, galloping into the square and nailing the paper to the wall, creates an unexpected and dramatic moment that grabs the attention of the characters and the readers. This sudden interruption and the soldier's unusual behavior indicate that something significant is happening.
The text states, "There was something unusual about this one" and "Something's happening!" This adds to the suspense as the characters, including the protagonist, Hagop, feel a sense of urgency and rush to see what the proclamation says. Their reactions, such as everyone running towards the bakery and the ashen faces and panic, heighten the suspense and the feeling of impending danger.
The content of the proclamation itself also contributes to the building of suspense. The message announces that all Armenians will be moved to the interior under escort of the Turkish army, and they must be prepared to leave within five days. The proclamation also includes the threat that those who refrain from leaving or try to hide will be shot.
These bold, angry words shock and paralyze Hagop and the others, leading to a sense of disbelief and panic. The realization that their lives are about to dramatically change adds to the suspense and raises questions about what will happen to them and how they will survive.
In summary, the narrator's description of the proclamation's posting in the story builds suspense through the unexpected appearance of the soldier, the urgency and panic of the characters, and the alarming content of the proclamation itself.