Foreshadowing
The use of clues to hint at future events
Foreshadowing
What does this clue mean:
A monster might attack!
A pair of mysterious, spooky eyes appeared under
the bed.
What does this clue mean:
A dark cloud appears, and the wind begins blowing.
A terrible storm might be
coming.
What does this clue mean:
Someone hides a letter under the sofa cushions.
Example from the Movie:
Sally delivers a basket to Jack then goes off and
hides. After, she picks a flower. Suddenly, turns
into a Christmas tree, but then it burns away.
What might this foreshadow?
Sometimes, foreshadowing
occurs when a character
makes an unusual statement
or warns someone.
Read the passages. Put your thumbs up if you can find evidence of
foreshadowing in the passage and thumbs down if you cannot.
Someone might discover the
letter.
Will the
discovery
lead to
trouble?
Christmas is
going to be a
disaster this
year...
Mohammad shouted, “Mr.
Sims, don’t open that door!
Who knows what could be
behind it?”
YES
Mohammad’s warning foreshadows a possible danger.
YES
The statements Mariam makes hint at a future
strange event.
NO
The statement is ordinary and uneventful.
“Wow, as crowded as the
carnival is, we’re the only
ones going into the
funhouse,” Mariam said.
“How strange.”
“There’s nothing like
roaming a field on a crisp,
fall day,” Billy thought to
himself.
In addition to what characters say,
writers can use other details to
foreshadow future events in the detail
of:
1. Action
2. Setting
3. Character
Detail of Action:
Detail of Setting:
With confidence, Alicia crossed the creek, balancing
on a log. She had accepted the dare without
hesitation. There’s nothing I won’t do, she thought
to herself.
For her latest dare, Alicia was supposed to explore
the decaying house down the street. Alicia stood in
front of the old house, which seemed to tower
menacingly over her. Paint peeled off every surface,
and cobwebs covered the dusty window.
Detail of Character:
The door swung open to reveal the scariest-looking
woman that Alicia had ever seen. Dressed in black
from head to toe, the woman cackled gleefully has
she rubbed her gnarled hands together.
Jack’s irritated expression puzzled me.
He claimed there was nothing wrong. I
guess I had no choice but to believe
him.
You’ve just learned that writers use
SETTING,
CHARACTER, and ACTION
details of
foreshadow future events.
Read the examples and choose which type of
foreshadowing clue is used in each examples.
Character
to
Sally tore up the
letter without even
reading it.
A deep, penetrating fog seeped in the
town from every corner.
The End...or is it?
Action
Setting