Both techniques are designed to enhance the narrative of a literary work. However, foreshadowing is intended to provide readers with just a hint or sense of what is to come in a story. Flashback is a literary device that interrupts a narrative plotline to present an earlier scene or episode in order to provide clarification or information for the reader.
This works as a means of promoting and enhancing reader understanding of a literary work by setting forth context and exposition cues. Foreshadowing also enhances reader understanding of a literary work. However, foreshadowing is generally more subtle than flashback and is not intended for expository or clarification purposes.
Rather than interrupting the narrative, proper foreshadowing is artfully woven into the story when done properly. This is effective for readers in that foreshadowing primes their emotions and expectations for something to be revealed. This can enhance the enjoyment, meaning, and understanding of a literary work when foreshadowing is properly used. Therefore, writers must consider the use of foreshadowing carefully and artfully, so that it is not misconstrued, too overt, or too subtle to be recognized.
Foreshadowing is an effective literary device in terms of preparing readers for events to come or narrative reveals. See the full definition for foreshadow in the English Language Learners Dictionary. Nglish: Translation of foreshadow for Spanish Speakers. Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free! Log in Sign Up. Save Word. Definition of foreshadow.
Synonyms for foreshadow Synonyms adumbrate , forerun , harbinger , herald , prefigure Visit the Thesaurus for More. Examples of foreshadow in a Sentence Her early interest in airplanes foreshadowed her later career as a pilot.
The hero's predicament is foreshadowed in the first chapter. Recent Examples on the Web On Tuesday, the benchmark price of Brent crude oil hit its highest level since October , which for a country that relies on oil imports foreshadow further inflationary pressure ahead.
First Known Use of foreshadow , in the meaning defined above. Learn More About foreshadow. Foreshadowing means a warning of something that will follow. I like to think of foreshadowing as an actual shadow. In every story, there is a climax. This is the high point of the story, and it usually takes place within the second half of the story.
Because this climax is so huge, it casts a shadow that should be visible even in the beginning of your story. However, at the end of your story, the shadow should make perfect sense in context.
Foreshadowing should not be confused with red herrings and foretellings. Foretelling tells the reader exactly what will happen once they follow the correct path. Foreshadowing points the reader to the correct path, but does so without flashing neon lights.
Why should you bother with foreshadowing your story? However, foreshadowing is so good when you get it right. They lean in a little closer, wondering what this could portend for the future. From that point forward, every scene increases in intensity. Surprises are fun sometimes. The reader needs to believe the ending is plausible.
Once they start looking back over the story, the reader will see the mastery of your foreshadowing and realize that they missed the clues.
I love when that happens! Although I believe foreshadowing is essential to storytelling, I also believe that less is more. Too much foreshadowing can ruin a good story. As I mentioned earlier, some surprise is good.
To balance your story, there needs to be revelations and circumstances that catch the reader off-guard. If your reader is in a constant state of analysis, your pacing will suffer. To strike the perfect balance, introduce hints but then jolt your reader with something unexpected.
To borrow from an above example, the character hides a knife in her pocket and then, seemingly out of nowhere, the factory down the street catches on fire. The character must react. Rising action - The character pursues a course of action until something knocks him off his feet. The character then must make a new choice.
0コメント