Foreshadowing

Foreshadowing is a literary technique used by many different authors to provide clues for the reader to be able to predict what might occur later on in the story. In other words, it is a literary device in which an author drops hints about the plot and what may come in the near future or, in other words, the plot developments to come later in the story. The hardest form of foreshadowing is the way things are mentioning an element that will be use... more

Foreshadowing is a literary technique used by many different authors to provide clues for the reader to be able to predict what might occur later on in the story. In other words, it is a literary device in which an author drops hints about the plot and what may come in the near future or, in other words, the plot developments to come later in the story. The hardest form of foreshadowing is the way things are mentioning an element that will be used later in the story. Usually, it is mentioned in passing the character's mind or as seemingly insignificant. The best example is that of Chekhov's gun: when a certain setting is described, it is mentioned that a loaded gun is hanging on a wall. Much later on, this is taken off the wall and fired. To draw the reader's attention to the otherwise subtle foreshadowing element, writers may often make repeated references to the object throughout the story. One of the earliest creations making use of the technique is the Arabian Nights. Early in the... less