Foreshadowing

Foreshadowing

Foreshadowing is a literary technique in which an author provides an earlier clue of what is to come in the advanced stage in the story. Foreshadowing always comes at the beginning of the story, and it allows the reader to grow expectations regarding the impending events. An author may execute foreshadowing in many distinct ways. The paper explores how Ambrose Bierce, Flannery O’ Connor, and Kate Chopin exploits this technique of foreshadowing in their texts to convey their message to the reader.

In Ambrose Bierce’s book, In An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge, the author professionally exploits the literary technique of foreshadowing to provide the reader a continuous clue that good old Peyton Farquhar is going to become a dead body towards the climax of the story. I enjoyed the more refined occasions of foreshadowing since they, to me, better show the author’s skill. For example, foreshadowing is shown through the constant mention of Farquhar’s neck all over the story. “His neck pained severely,” and “his neck was aching.” This is demonstrated in paragraph 18 and 35 respectfully. It is not shown until the climax of the story that the main character never evades from the bridge; however, the application of foreshadowing provides the reader with clues of his destiny beforehand.  The strategy of foreshadowing is one of the fascinating techniques that an author can capitalize on since it compels the reader to carry out a close reading and have the same guessing the entire period up to the end. Most readers even interrogate whether or not Farquhar is dead the whole period, right from the beginning to the end, because the foreshadowing technique makes them fascinated.

Even the most common forms of foreshadowing can confirm to be a fascinating technique. At the beginning of the third section, the narrator observes that “Peyton fell through the bridge, and he became unconscious and was as good as dead” (paragraph 18). Right in the book, it is captured that he is already dead; however, that does not bother the reader, who is captivated by Farquhar’s escape and voyage.

The fantastical components to that always appear unbelievable; for instance, during his escape is another way foreshadowing technique is applied to enable the reader to understand that none of this magical journey is taking place. In reality, Farquhar is dangling unconsciously from the bridge. Farquhar observes that “It is as easy to fake a volley as a one-shot” (paragraph 27), which is absurd. Generally, the story was made better by the author’s exploitation of foreshadowing and is a fascinating read.

Flannery O’ Connor, also uses the foreshadowing technique in her book, “A Good Man is Hard to Find” when reading the book, one is struck by the unexpected violence towards the climax of the story. However, if a second reading is done to the story, the reader can see clear signs of foreshadowing that point to the height of the story. Through O’ Connor’s strategy if strong imagery to foreshadow the events and the people in the book is very captivating. There are two critical moments that she exploits this technique. They include the portrayal of the grandmother’s outfit and the graveyard.

The story kicks off with the grandmother not willing to travel to Florida but ready to move to Tennessee, where she has some acquittance to see. She ironically puts on her best outfit. She is dressed decently with, “A navy blue outfit with a small white spot in print. Her cuffs and collars were white organdies clipped with lace, and at her neckline, she had stuck a purple spray of material violets having a pouch” (O’Connor 382). Strong foreshadowing imagery is portrayed in this line. Understanding the climax of the story, the grandmother’s full outfit represents a funeral preparation. When an individual dies, he or she is clothed in their best dresses, just like the grandmother is covered in what appears to be her best outfit.

The foreshadowing of the family’s demise is evident when they “went through a cotton plantation with five or six graves fortified at the center of it, just like a small island.” (O’Connor 12). It is not a coincidence that the number of graves matches the precise amount of individuals in the car. There are a baby and five adults. Since the baby is not considered as a complete person, it is proper to state five or six. This foreshadowing image results in the next one: “Take a glance at the grave!” the grandmother implored, pointing it out. “That was the old generation burying ground. That belonged to the field.” “Where is the field? John Wesley inquired. “Gone with the Wind,” the grandmother replied.” “Ha! Ha!” (O’Connor 12). The grandmother’s mention of the field as gone with the wind can be perceived as an image symbolism and foreshadowing of the family’s condition towards the climax of the story. The wind takes Their souls in death. Moreover, a foreshadowing image is portrayed in the conversation between the grandmother and the Misfit towards the end. He states, “Does it sound proper to you, lady, that one is penalized a heap, and another one is not chastised at all?” (O’Connor 28). It is understood here that the Misfit will execute the grandmother.

In the end, she is not chastised for her crime of hypocrisy, selfishness, and lying. The Misfit plays God and administers punishment, where he deems necessary. Flannery O’ Connor exploits imagery extensively to foreshadow the climax of the story. She applies various images, for instance, the grandmother’s outfit, the graveyard, and the discourse with the Misfit to foreshadow protagonists’ future and occurrences. Her foreshadowing images are both powerful and sophisticated, so it does not affect the climax of the story.

Additionally, this technique has been applied by Kate Chopin in her text, “The Story of an Hour.” The Story of an Hour is a short narrative about a woman known as Mrs. Louise Mallard, who realizes about her husband’s demise and gets a sense of happiness and freedom upon this realization. However, towards the climax of the story, Mrs. Mallard is told that her husband is not dead, which leads to her unexpected death.

In the entire story, there are a few elusive examples of foreshadowing. These occurrences describe some of the scenes all through the story. Chopin exploits Mrs. Mallard’s heart disorder to foreshadow the climax of the story. Richard was so keen to reveal the news of Mr. Mallard’s demise; ironically, Mrs. Mallard ended up dying when she noted that he was still alive, and he did not lose his life in the imaginary tragic death.  The information where “her bosom rose and fell agitatedly “is more than just a feeling. That phrase makes the reader have a better insight into why Mrs. Mallard’s died so unexpectedly after she looks at her husband. The sentence describes how Mrs. Mallard is becoming more and more nervous with the irresistible sadness of her husband but, at the same time, independence for herself. Thus, having her disturbed heart moving, she feels the option of death impending and tries to resist back with her will.

The mood in her house is confusion, as she is both angered of the demise of her husband but, at the same time, happy with the chances of being a widow and ultimately being able to exercise control over her life. As Mrs. Mallard peeps through the window, she glances at the treetops, blue skies, and hears sweet songs from the singing birds and the noise of the town below. All of these things open her eyes to the independence her husband’s demise has offered her.  The misperception inside vanishes as she glances through the window into a possibly happy life awaiting her.

The newly established freedom Louise Mallard expects will not endure forever, and the reader starts to realize it when the speaker exploits the technique of foreshadowing words “short moment of brilliance” to define Mallard’s epiphany. Mallard believes that no person has a right to force a private will upon another person. Still, the speaker foreshadows that this will be only a short-lived thought because Brently Mallard resurfaces at the climax of the story to bring Louise’s freedom to an unexpected and tragic end.

Just before Louise moves from her room and walks downstairs with her sister, Louise recites a “quick prayer that life might be prolonged.” There would be no ground for readers to think otherwise because the speaker has already defined her as young, and so it is clear that Louise’s life will, actually, unexpectedly end with the utter anguish and dissatisfaction that overtakes her upon her husband’s come back.

The matrimonial relationship between the seemingly late Mr. Mallard and his wife is implied as symbolic of a male-controlled society. “It was only the other day she had thought with a trembling that life might be prolonged” (Chopin 8). It is a radical observation which makes her perceive the association, which forms the basis of human society as interdependent claims of rights and responsibilities.

Productivity is added to the text by all the clues, hints, and ideas demonstrate how Mrs. Mallard commits an hour of rollercoaster feelings from grief, pleasure, independence, relief, and finally shock. Which ultimately claims her life after feeling of emptiness of her emotions in such a short timeframe, her disturbed heart just cannot take it.

Kate Chopin, with her complicated view life, particularly her understanding into the secluded space of the woman’s soul and mind, always represented women who pursue sexual and spiritual independence amidst the preventive mores of the 19^th century. Her presentation about the inconsistency between the understood reality and the real truth comes as across firmly through the relationship of the components of foreshadowing Chopin uses through the short story.

Works Cited

Bierce, Ambrose. An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge. Strelbytskyy Multimedia Publishing, 2019.

Chopin, Kate. The story of an hour. Jimin Recordings, 1981.

O’Connor, Flannery. A good man is hard to find. New English Library, 1962.`