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Definition of Foreshadowing
Foreshadowing is a literary device in which authors hint at plot developments that don't actually occur until later in the story. Foreshadowing can be achieved directly or indirectly, by making... read full definition
Foreshadowing is a literary device in which authors hint at plot developments that don't actually occur until later in the story. Foreshadowing can be achieved... read full definition
Foreshadowing is a literary device in which authors hint at plot developments that don't actually occur until later in the... read full definition
Key Examples in A Streetcar Named Desire
Scene 2
Explanation and Analysis—Here's Your Plantation!:
Stanley's suspicion of Blanche’s past foreshadows his obsessive rooting-out of all she is hiding. When she arrives in New Orleans, he goes through her suitcase, showing jewels and furs to Stella and yelling hyperbolically:
STANLEY: I've got an acquaintance who deals in this sort of merchandise. I'll have him check on it...Here’s your plantation, or what’s left of it, here!
Related Themes:
Scene 3
Explanation and Analysis—Naked Bulb:
Throughout the play, Blanche does whatever she can to avoid being exposed to bright electric light. The way she shrinks away from it whenever it appears foreshadows her dread of any kind of exposure. At the beginning of the play, she tells Mitch flirtartiously that:
Unlock with LitCharts A+BLANCHE: I can't stand a naked light bulb, any more than I can a rude remark or a vulgar action.
Related Themes:
