Premium Essay

Foreshadowing to Tell a Story

In:

Submitted By jshades27
Words 485
Pages 2
Joshua Berman
Professor Wenxin
English 102
3 March 2015

Foreshadowing To Tell A Story

Many authors illustrate a literary technique called foreshadowing. Foreshadowing is a device that author’s uses to hint at what is about to come. In Flannery O’Connor’s “A Good Man Is Hard To Find,” The author uses foreshadowing through certain symbols to hint what is to come in the story. Some examples of foreshadowing in this story are the dress and the graves. In each of these examples of foreshadowing, the author try’s to convey what is to come.

The first example of foreshadowing used is the grandmother’s dress. She was wearing a “Navy blue straw sailor hat with a bunch of violets on the brim and a navy blue dress with a small white dot in the print. And her collars and cuffs were white organdy trimmed with lace and at her neckline she had pinned a purple spray of cloth violets containing a sachet” (O’Connor 428). The strong use of imagery tells the reader that she is dressed in her Sunday best. Many times when a person is buried they are dressed in their best outfit. The way she is dressed almost symbolizes what one would wear to be buried in. This is a very strong point of foreshadowing because the grandmother seems to be in her most prominent and best looking outfit. Possibly symbolizing her funeral may be upcoming.

Another example of foreshadowing is the number of graves in the plantation numbering 5 or 6 (O’Connor 428). This is a strong point of foreshadowing because the number of people who are in the family is 5 and a baby. Since a baby is not a fully developed “person” the ambiguity of the graves is appropriate. The next example of foreshadowing is right after the graves when the grandmother says, "Look at the graveyard!" "That was the old family burying ground. That belonged to the plantation." When John asks his grandmother where the plantation

Similar Documents

Free Essay

Dgtmaweuiog

...the Shah-nama skillfully employs foreshadowing to create suspense, emphasize the tragedy, and portray the mood. Foreshadowing is very important and change the way a story is read. Firdawsi did a great good of foreshadowing when he wrote the Shah-nama. The Shah-nama is a tragedy that tells the story of Rustam and Suhrab. Rustam is a mighty leader who unknowingly kills his son Suhrab. Creating suspense in any story is very important to keep a reader entertained and actively reading the story. One way this can be done is by foreshadowing. In the Shah-nama, Firdawsi, the author uses foreshadowing to create suspense. “Let us dismiss such fancies from our hearts, for he will come to fight with me tomorrow.(4) This creates suspense because Suhrab is expecting another battle tomorrow. One can be lead to believe that the fight will be epic battle. One can also be lead to believe that Rustam will find out the truth. In conclusion this is how Firdawsi used foreshadowing to create suspense. A tragedy will often be the topic of a poem. Firdawsi used foreshadowing to emphasize the tragedy in the Shah-nama. “My mother told me I should recognize my father”(5). This is where Rustam figures out he might have a connection to Suhrab. The reader can also predict that the truth will come out and Suhrab will provide proof that he is Rustam’s seed. This also emphasizes how tragic the kill of one’s child can be. As you can see foreshadowing is important in a story especially when emphasizing the tragedy...

Words: 427 - Pages: 2

Premium Essay

A Rose for Emily

...Analysis – A Rose For Emily “A Rose For Emily” is a short story by William Faulkner. This story is about a lonely upper-class woman that has trouble letting go of the past and adjusting to change. Faulkner uses foreshadowing in this story to create suspense and mystery. Several events occur which foreshadow the murder of Homer Barron and of Emily sleeping with his dead body. The first act of foreshadowing is when Emily buys arsenic and refuses to tell the druggist what she intends to use it for. Since Emily does not say what it is for, the druggist assumes it will be used to kill mice. The people of the town suggest she will use it to kill herself because she has become very lonely. She seems to be no longer involved with her love interest, Homer Barron. Once more of the foreshadowing is brought into the story, you see that it seems to be her intention to use it on Homer Barron so that he will never leave her again. The second use of foreshadowing was the disappearance of Homer Barron. “A neighbor saw the Negro man admit him at the kitchen door at dusk one evening. And that was the last we saw of Homer Baron.” (Faulkner 33) The narrator interprets this as a sign that Homer has ended his relationship with Emily and left town. This foreshadowing actually tells us that he never left the house after that night and that was the last time he would be seen alive. Another event of foreshadowing is when a smell begins to come from Miss Emily’s house. The smell...

Words: 407 - Pages: 2

Premium Essay

A Powder Day

...Frost and Rhys: Writing Similarities and Differences Charles R. Cobb ENG 125: GSH1331C Alessandra Cusimano August 28, 2013 People experience poetry and short stories differently, yet they all use similar techniques or terms used to write literature. All literature uses some type of tone, a point-of-view, and symbols. This tools for writing help tell the story by giving the reader the emotions, perspective and the hidden messages, making the story come alive to reader and in captivating the reader into the story itself. Others use different terms to help tell their story for poems, rhythm is used often. While in short stories and dramas, foreshadowing and metaphors are used to help tell the story. These tools are not used in every work of literature, but they are tools to help bring the reader into the story more, making the reader become excited or antsy about what is coming next. Looking at the poem “The Road Not Taken” by Robert Frost and the short story “Used to Live Here Once” by Jean Rhys, there are a couple of similarities and a few differences in their techniques. These techniques are what can make a poem and a short story differ are; symbolism, tone, point of view, foreshadowing, and rhythm will be discussed here. Symbolism A symbol in literature “is something that has a literal identity but also stands for something else-something that is widely understood and has been developed over a long period of time or by common agreement” (Clugston, R. 2010...

Words: 2393 - Pages: 10

Premium Essay

Essay on Richard Gibney’s “the Whipping Boy”

...describe the historic brutality, but it also takes a different view that gives a curious reason for the oncoming racism, in the period. “The Whipping Boy” as many other stories, told during and after the American civil war, takes place in the Confederate States most likely in the South East, where plantations were abundant. The civil war has just ended as a messenger boy from the Union has told the former slaves of their freedom, alas the year is 1865. Our third person narrator, Martha, does not really believe the messenger, as she believes him “too young and underqualified to confer freedom upon anyone…”, though the two brothers Mikey and Tommy believe in the Union boy’s story, whereas their first act as free men is to kill the dogs of their former slaver/master Sterling Gage. This, at first, seems quite brutal, but we quickly learn that “… the slaves treated the dogs better in death than the dogs had treated the slaves in life.” Which leaves the mind open to imagine different cruelties exacted upon Mikey and Tommy by using the dogs. Further on we learn more about their relationship with Gage and his family; Martha was forced to sleep with him and Gage had beaten Mikey for “ogling” Martha. Though, at first Mikey had seen Gage as a friend, he tells Martha of Gage’s betrayal of him, when Gage blamed him for stealing sugar, which Gage had done himself. This...

Words: 1012 - Pages: 5

Premium Essay

Rose For Emily

...Faulkner tended to base his stories on fictional location, based on his life in the South. He lived from 1897 to 1962, in a time where Civil War was a big influence and where his family lost all their wealth. He liked to express not only local history, but also issues of the human heart, especially a heart in conflict. In 1950, he won a Nobel Prize for Literature writing stories as this one. A Rose For Emily, was a part of a collect of stories from that year. This particular story is about Emily Grierson, and it reflects many a personal conflict in regard to her person identity, as a woman in the south. Emily is an elderly woman who is deeply admired by the community. The community places her in high esteem and sees her as a tradition...

Words: 1003 - Pages: 5

Premium Essay

Anatomy of an Epic

...N D Dr. W. Yarborough English 205 July 22, 2012 The Anatomy of an Epic When it comes to the art of storytelling, one has to think of the great storyteller known as Homer. There are other great story tellers and epics that stand out in history such as Vergil and his epic The Aeneid. Though there is no duplicate to the epic poems of Homer. Homer of Greece was a blind bard known for a sensational memory and his ability to entertain an audience with the portrayal of his words. Two well known epic poems he told were The Odyssey and The Iliad. Both of these poems are very different from any story or poem written in ancient Greece. The structure, development, and the art of how each epic was told is the reason why each work is different and why each is called an epic. Especially the Odyssey it is the pentacle of an epic poem and contains everything needed to be considered so. The Odyssey is the great story of Odysseus and the sequel to Homer’s other epic the Iliad. The main character Odysseus is put through a lengthy journey on his return home to Ithaca from the battlefield of Troy. Over the span of 24 detailed books Homer tells Odysseus’ path and what he must face to get home. From the raging seas created by Poseidon, Odysseus’ lengthy stay with calypso, and his travels through the underworld. These and other conflicts that Odysseus faces are part of the elements to which make the odyssey and epic poem. In the first book of the Odyssey, Homer introduces a very important...

Words: 3015 - Pages: 13

Premium Essay

Is The Vocabulary In Jorge Luis Borges The Form Of The Sword

...ever read a story with so much action that it keeps you on the edge of a cliff, but then crushes your thought about the character’s ethics? The short story “The Form of the Sword” was written by Jorge Luis Borges and published in 1942. This short story depicts the adventures of a man that was present in the Irish revolution, only to sell out one of his fellow countrymen to the enemy. His actions still plague his soul years later, at his home in Brazil. He sold the noble comrade out because of his cowardice, and the noble comrade was killed by a firing squad. While some people may find the story confusing, it should be used next year in this curriculum because of the great usage of allusion and foreshadowing. Allusion and foreshadowing...

Words: 697 - Pages: 3

Premium Essay

Divine Command Theory

...Derleth As a child, August Derleth was a big fan of the Sherlock Holmes series written by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. In 1926 he heard that Sherlock Holmes was no longer going to be written. Derleth wrote Doyle asking permission to keep alive the spirit and style of Doyle’s work. Derleth wanted to do a pastiche of Sherlock Holmes called the Solar Pons series. Derleth got the go ahead to write the Solar Pons series using the same characters with different names, a plot location one block away, and the same writing style as Doyle’s. Sherlock Holmes’ character is named Solar Pons in Derleth’s work. The Solar Pons mysteries are among the closest imitations of Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes stories. The series has enjoyed critical and popular success. Mirroring Doyle’s style, Derleth uses dialect, flashback, and foreshadowing to interact and entertain the reader with the Solar Pons character in Mr. Fairlie’s Final Journey to solve the case. The book concerns the investigation into the death of Jonas Fairlie, who was murdered on a train while on his way to consult Solar Pons. To solve the mystery, Solar Pons and his companion, Dr. Lyndon Parker, travel to Fairlie's home town of Frome, Somerset and from there to Scotland, Cheltenham in Gloucestershire and finally to a remote area on the coast of Wales. Pons and Parker work together to retrace the last days of Jonas Fairlie’s life to solve the murder case. The first method that Derleth uses to show the reader the setting of the book and the nationality...

Words: 1491 - Pages: 6

Premium Essay

Examples Of Suspense In And Then There Were None

...None: Suspense The novel, And Then There Were None, is a murder mystery written by Agatha Christie. In the story, ten guests were invited to Indian Island by an unknown person to ultimately be held accountable for past crimes that were beyond the court of law. Agatha Christie builds suspense in her story through the creative use of ominous setting, mysterious characters, and foreshadowing disastrous events. Agatha Christie creates suspense throughout the story with different elements of setting. In the dining room in the center of the table there are ten china figures resting on a glass stand. “In the center of the round table, on a circular glass stand, were some little china figures. “‘Indians.’” Said Tony. “‘Indian Island. I suppose that’s the idea.’” (Christie 29). Throughout the story one china figure is removed for every death of the characters creating suspense. In addition to setting, the author builds suspense through the use of characters. A hand that smelled like the sea touched Vera, scaring her. The narrator states, “She had heard something - surely she had heard something… And then, as she stood there, listening - a cold, clammy hand touched her throat - a wet hand, smelling the of the sea… Vera screamed. She screamed and screamed - screams of the utmost terror - wild desperate cries for help.”...

Words: 453 - Pages: 2

Premium Essay

T. C. Boyle's Greasy Lake

...The short story “Greasy Lake,” written by T.C. Boyle, is set during a time when “it was good to be bad,” and American teenagers were engulfed in the “greaser” culture of cars, rock and roll, and partying. The main characters in this short story go to an old, polluted lake in their small hometown looking for a good time, but find themselves in big trouble. Boyle uses items such as the conflict, the multiple stages of plot, and the use of foreshadowing, to develop the plot throughout the short story. The conflict in the story is between the protagonist and the “bad greasy character,” or the antagonist. In this case, the antagonist is the villain, acting against the protagonist, but not presenting a different viewpoint or course of action. The...

Words: 497 - Pages: 2

Premium Essay

Foreshadowing Jane Eyre

...Eyre. Sickness broke out at the school claiming the lives of Charlotte’s two older sisters. As a result, Charlotte and her younger sister Emily were withdrawn from the school and began studying under their aunt. In 1831, Charlotte left home to spend a year of study at Roe Head. Three years after her departure from said school, she returned as an instructor for the next three years. After that, she held many other jobs as a teacher or governess. Charlotte later decided to take up writing along with her two sisters, and all three published their first novels in 1847. Charlotte’s novel was Jane Eyre, a love story with a main character modelled after Charlotte herself (World’s). Jane is a governess and teacher who falls in love with her employer, who has many secrets to be revealed. In Jane Eyre, Charlotte Brontë uses many literary devices to enhance the story including foreshadowing, point of...

Words: 1241 - Pages: 5

Premium Essay

Foreshadowing In A Rose For Emily

...When the druggist visits Miss Emily’s home and she asked her for the poison, foreshadowing is used to tell of an upcoming death. Someone or something dies from the poison in the story. Faulkner also uses foreshadowing in the story to let the reader know there will be a secret revealed. He writes “Already we knew that there was one room in that region above the stairs which no one had seen in forty years, and which would have to be forced” (Faulkner 226). This gives evidence that the door will be forced open and the townspeople will enter to see what is inside. In “A Romance to kill For: Homicidal Complicity in Faulkner’s “A Rose for Emily”, the author says, “Smelling the stench, these men much have realized that its source was no mere dead snake or rat” (Dilworth 257). Miss Emily’s home had a strong stench causing fuss among the townspeople. A couple of the men went to her home at night to spread lime; in hopes it would cover up the stench (Faulkner 222). This indicates there is a smell of something that has possibly died in or around the home. The use of foreshadowing in the story keeps the reader wondering what will happen next, and it keeps the story interesting to the...

Words: 1125 - Pages: 5

Premium Essay

Literary Devices In The Most Dangerous Game By Richard Connell

...People use literary devices in their everyday conversations whether they notice it or not. Sometimes people will exaggerate, compare their situations to something else, or hint towards something. For example if someone wanted a necklace for their birthday they might talk about how their neck feels empty and how they love necklaces, so their friends could take a hint. Similarly, authors use literary devices in writing to convey the same thing. A couple examples of literary devices are hyperbole, simile, and foreshadowing. Richard Connell uses literary devices such as irony, foreshadowing, and imagery in the short story “The Most Dangerous Game” to add an effective message. In the short story “The Most Dangerous Game” the author, Richard...

Words: 987 - Pages: 4

Premium Essay

Foreshadowing In Animal Farm And Julius Caesar

...Foreshadowing is a literary device in which a writer gives an advance hint of what is to come later in the story. ("Definition of Foreshadowing." Literary Devices. N.p., 2016. Web. 11 Dec. 2016. ) The novella Animal Farm written by George Orwell and the tragic play Julius Caesar by William Shakespeare display various examples of foreshadowing that illustrates future events that happen later in these stories. In Animal Farm, George Orwell foreshadows the pigs’ gradual abuse of their power. “Never mind the milk, comrades!” cried Napoleon, placing himself in front of the buckets. “That will be attended to. The harvest is more important. Comrade Snowball will lead the way. I shall follow in a few minutes. Forward, comrades! The hay is waiting.So the animals trooped down to the hayfield to begin the harvest, and when they came back in the evening it was noticed that the milk had disappeared” (Orwell, 26). The animal’s had wondered what to do with the extra milk and tried to discuss it, but Napoleon, the pig, told them that it wasn't important compared to the harvest. Napoleon told the animals to follow Snowball and he would be with them, but once the animals had returned for the evening the milk was gone, implying Napoleon took it or did something with it. The soon betrayal of the hard working horse, Boxer is foreshadowed after the attacks Napoleon made. “To the amazement of everybody, three of them flung themselves upon Boxer. Boxer saw them coming and put out his great hoof...

Words: 1216 - Pages: 5

Premium Essay

Romeo and Juliet - Response to Literature

...Romeo and Juliet – Response to Literature Romeo and Juliet has many traits that make it arguably one of the greatest plays of all time, but today I would like to talk about one thing, and that is foreshadowing. The play I would like to address is “Romeo and Juliet” written by William Shakespeare. This book consists of both tragedy and romance, which makes way for foreshadowing. The book begins with a feud between two families; the Montague’s, and the Capulet’s. Romeo meets one of his cousins and they start talking and Romeo says that he is in love with a woman named “Rosaline” who does not love him back. His cousin tells him to forget this, but he does not listen. Later, Romeo’s Cousin tells him to attend a feast held by the Capulet’s. Romeo agrees and upon arrival sees a woman named “Juliet” and it was love at first sight, and the story goes on from there. I have read through the book and researched foreshadowing for Romeo and Juliet and I have found that there are many different times in which it has occurred. One very clear evidence of foreshadowing is in Act 1, Scene 5 when Tybalt walks away from a fight and says “I will withdraw, but this intrusion shall now seeming sweet convert to bitter gall.” Gall is “something bitter or severe” but it can also mean poison, which Romeo killed himself with when he thought Juliet was dead. Another Example of this is when Romeo is fighting Tybalt and kills him. After this has happened Romeo exclaims “O, I am fortune’s fool!” Personally...

Words: 505 - Pages: 3