Or….did I see that coming?
“I’ve Got a Bad Feeling About This…”
What is Foreshadowing?
 The use of hints or clues to suggest future
action.
 Authors DO tell us what to expect in the
future of the story….subtly
Why is This Important?
 Authors plant clues….
 They expect you to pick up on them….
 Important parts of a novel shouldn’t be a shock!
What is the Purpose of Foreshadowing?
To create suspense!
The reader will subconsciously know these common
clues.
The author wants the reader to KNOW that things will
happen but wants to retain control over the HOW and
WHEN things will happen.
The Challenge of Finding Foreshadowing
 Oftentimes, foreshadowing does not appear obvious to
a reader until after the fact.
 But….if you can read actively, you will have a better
chance of noticing these intentional clues about future
action!
How do I find foreshadowing?
 Look for the “FIVE common cues”
1. Dreams
2. Warnings / Curses
3. Confidence / Cockiness
4.Abundant Attention
5. Static character?
 When characters have dreams……
 ….those dreams often come true
1) Star Wars: Episode III
Anakin dreams that Padme will die during the birth of
their child.
Result?
She DOES die, producing TWINS:
 Luke Skywalker and Leia Organa
2) Wayne’s World
Wayne dreams, if ever so briefly,
of being able to date
Cassandra…
Result?
They do date later in the film!
3) Ghostbusters
 The evil voice tells the
Ghostbusters to “choose
the Traveler, the one who
shall destroy you.”
 Whatever they think
(dream) will come and
destroy them.
Result?
One of them dreams of the
Stay-Puft Marshmallow
Man who then comes to
reek havoc on the boys!
Shrek 4
 Rumpelstiltskin is having a hard time
 He dreams about what life would be like if Shrek had
not been born….
And the future brought….
The Wizard of Oz
The Wicked Witch of the West
exclaims….
Results?
She DOES try to “get”
Dorothy…and her little dog,
Toto.
Fantastic Mr. Fox
 Mr. Fox is warned that foxes don’t live in trees!
 They live UNDERGROUND to stay out of trouble!
And in the end…
The Proposal
 Margaret is warned that the DOG should not go
outside!
And…when it did…
The Bible
 In the book of Genesis, it reads as follows:
 And the Lord God took the man, and put him into the
garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it. And the Lord
God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the
garden thou mayest freely eat. But of the tree of the
knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for
in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely
die.
Result??
 Adam and Eve DO eat the fruit
(an apple) from the tree of
knowledge.
 They symbolically “die” in that
they now maintain the
“original sin”.
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs
 The dwarfs warn Snow White to be wary of the Queen.
Result??
 The Queen disguises herself
and, eventually, gives the
poisoned apple to Snow White.
 Snow White falls into a deep
sleep…until awoken by love’s
first kiss.
Sleeping Beauty
 Maleficent, the evil fairy, is
upset that she was not invited
to the party.
Result??
 Aurora DOES prick her finger
on a spinning wheel.
 She falls into a deep sleep until
awoken by a kiss
Pandora
 The gods presented her with
a box into which each had
put something harmful, and
forbade her ever to open it.
Result??
 Pandora opens the box, releasing
innumerable plagues, sorrow, and
mischief for mankind.
 Hope was also there, but Pandora
had already fulfilled the
foreshadowed action!
Wayne’s World
 Wayne really wants to be with Cassandra.
 He exclaims that “she will be [his]!”
Result??
 They do date later in the film!
Wayne’s World
 Wayne sees a classic Fender guitar and confidently
exclaims that “it will be [his]”
Result??
 He DOES get that guitar!
Titanic
The banker that provided the funds for Titanic wants the
captain of the ship to go faster!
Result?
Titanic….
 The Captain receives word that
there is ICE in the ship’s path.
 One might ….slow down…right?
Result?
Titanic
The architect of the boat comments on how, yes, there
ARE fewer life boats than would be needed for ALL
aboard.
Result???
Star Wars: Episode II
Anakin exclaims that he will be the most powerful Jedi.
Result?
For a time, he does become
that…as Darth Vader!
Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs
 Flint is SURE that his machine that turns water into
food couldn’t POSSIBLY go wrong!
Well…..
Over-Abundant Attention
 Often, this attention directs the reader to pay more
attention to the object.
 It may mean foreshadowing.
 It may mean an author’s attempt at symbolism.
Ghosbusters
During the scene where the
woman comes home and her
eggs fry on the counter top,
there is a package of Stay-Puft
Marshmallows in the frame.
Result?
 The references to the Stay-Puft
Marshmallows do let us know that the boys
WILL “dream” of those as the
Traveller…later in the movie!
Patriot Games
A fight happens on a boat (while,
of course, going super fast!).
The framing continues to focus
on a pointy anchor on the
deck…
Result???
Yep, someone (guess who?) dies by
being thrown on that pointy anchor!
Ferris Bueller’s Day Off
 Ferris plays hooky from school one fine day.
 Notice the outfit in the back of his room…
Notice what he’s wearing now…
Jaws
 The men bring scuba tanks aboard the boat whilst
they hunt the giant shark.
 Who would want to scuba dive with a shark around?
Aren’t those helpful!
Raiders of the Lost Ark
 Indy really….really hates snakes.
Out of all the things….
Shrek 4
 Shrek and Fiona talk, throughout the movie, about
tying…..shoes!
When facing a major obstacle….
Static Characters…
 Do NOT change throughout a text.
 They START and END a text as, fundamentally, the
same character / person.
 Behave at start = Behave at end
Examples
 Voldemort
 Darth Vader
Lord of the Flies
 Ralph
 Piggy