Full Tilt
In the novel, Full Tilt, Neal Shusterman uses the gothic element “altered senses, screams, and bloody hands” to establish the depressing mood and atmosphere. Altered senses was the first gothic element I chose. “there were times that he sort of slipped out of phase with reality- a holdover, I guess, from those early years when he was so locked in his own private universe. It wasn’t just that he didn’t see the big picture. Sometimes he saw a different picture entirely.” In this quote from the book it describes Quinn in a mysterious way, wanting you to want to learn more about his character, knowing that he is mysterious makes the mood mysterious itself.“It caught me off guard. He was around six the last time he said that. It was a whisper at bedtime, like a confession. A secret, too fragile for the light of day. I go places sometimes.” In this quote the author makes you wonder even more about the character, Quinn. It gives you a glimpse of his past, and what may happen further in the book. “I go places sometimes” seems gloomy, makes you wonder where he “goes” and what happens or what is going to happen. “like a confession. A secret, too fragile for the light of day” what is the “confession”? What is the “secret”? “Too fragile for the light of day” makes the reader wonder, makes the story tense in a way, makes the reader curious. “There were tears rolling down Quinn’s cheeks. He was afraid, and maybe for the first time in his life he was admitting that he was. “I don’t want to be empty on the inside,” he cried. “Please. . .please don’t do this.” In this quote it makes you feel sorry for Quinn, at this point you are somewhat attached to Quinn, you are educated about the character, you are familiar with him. When it says he is afraid and says the tears are rolling down his cheeks, it makes you sad and scared for him at the same time. It makes the mood depressing. In this novel “altered senses” makes the mood and atmosphere many things. It changes throughout the