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Literary Devices
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
Foreshadowing
Explanation and Analysis—Like a Cowl:
When Madame Valmondé arrives at L’Abri, the story uses a simile to help vividly depict the plantation that she sees sprawled out before her:
“The roof came down black and steep like a cowl, reaching out beyond the wide galleries that encircled the yellow stuccoed house.”
Related Themes:
Explanation and Analysis—Stone Image:
Just before Désirée decides to leave L’Abri, she goes into Armand’s office with a letter from her mother. Despite her racial ambiguity and unknown origins, she has been offered comfort and safety with her adopted family. Chopin uses an illuminating simile to describe Désirée in this pivotal moment:
Unlock with LitCharts A+She was like a stone image: silent, white, motionless after she placed it there.
Related Themes:
Explanation and Analysis—The Question of Origin:
At the beginning of "Désirée's Baby," the story foreshadows the eventual drama that will arise because of the ambiguity of Désirée’s origins. Before her marriage to Armand, Valmondé tries to impress upon the young man that nobody knows where Désirée came from, but Armand brushes this off, determined to marry her:
Unlock with LitCharts A+“Monsieur Valmondé grew practical and wanted things well considered: that is, the girl’s obscure origin. Armand looked into her eyes and did not care.”
Related Themes:
