Explain how Helen Macdonald uses language, form and structure to create a sense of suspense and tension in 'H is for Hawk' Anonymous 11th Grade

“H is for Hawk” is a short story through which Helen Macdonald purchases a hawk in order to help her deal with the death of her father. She creates a sense of suspense and tension when she realises that she has purchased the wrong hawk, but she ends up keeping that one. The following essay will explain this through focusing on different uses of language, form and structure which Helen Macdonald uses.

Firstly, Helen Macdonald begins her monologue using direct speech to give us the immediate impression that something quick and dramatic is happening; as the text reads, “we’ll check the ring numbers against the article 10’s”. The strict and rushed tone here is quite sudden and it captures our attention as soon as we begin to read, which perhaps foreshadows the drama later on when she realises that she has been given the wrong hawk. Furthermore, Helen Macdonald also ends this paragraph with direct speech, saying “don’t want you going home with the wrong bird”, using dialogue to make what the man selling the bird is saying seem more realistic, which helps us relate to and understand her situation. It is also ironic that she says this because he does give her the wrong bird, which along with the use of a short paragraph, further...