Question

In paragraph 5, Hitchcock says that an audience “will work like the devil” for him if he tells them all the secrets his characters do not know. What can you infer about Hitchcock’s attitude toward the people who watch his movies? How does this phrase relate, or connect, to Hitchcock’s purpose for writing? Highlight context clues to define the phrase, as well as text evidence that tells you how Hitchcock and his actors will know they have succeeded in engaging the audience for Rope.

Answer 1

Hithcock believes that his audience is moved to the suspense that is affected by the characters, but they like to "play God" and have access to the information before them. Thus Hitchcock states that by showing the public the secrets that the characters do not know, the audience is motivated and anxious to know how these stories will come about and will work hard to disseminate and leaflet the stories for other people to know about them.

This sentence shows how Hitchcock's stories grow and flourish over time, being his purpose for writing, creating stories that are not outdated, as the exciting thing is to see their unfolding and not a possible surprise.