The
BLACK BOOK of SECRETS by F.E. HIGGINS
Chapter
9 “Obadiah Strang”
In this chapter of the exciting story Ludlow Fitch and Joe
Zabbidou take a trip to the graveyard. They arrived onto the premise as the
gravedigger “Obadiah Strang” was finishing up a grave. Obadiah kept digging for
a while before he noticed that company had arrived. The man seemed disturbed by
their presence in the graveyard. He started suspiciously as them especially
Ludlow. Impatiently and in a hurry he urged them to tell him what they wanted
so he could return to his work. Joe stared into his tired eyes and the man
began to loosen up. Afterwards Joe invited him over to talk later that night
after all the work was completed.
Personal Reaction: I believe that Mr. Strang is not very
welcoming to strangers and feels as if they are a threat. He believes that they
only come to town to make a profit off of the foolish villagers. The images
that were portrayed implanted the sense of being there in my mind. The author
used very descriptive phrases to describe the grave digger’s appearance.
Author’s Intent: I believe that the author is trying to
build suspense within the readers. The author’s intention is to entice the
readers’ emotions. Therefore the readers’ minds’ become captivated. The author
is also trying to inform you of the lack of trust among the people in the
village. He/She does a great job with allowing the reader to develop an image
of future events but at the same time they have to wonder what will happen
next.
