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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 Jasper Jones
Chapter 3
Explanation and Analysis—Behind Closed Doors:
In Chapter 3, dramatic irony intensifies as Wesley and Charlie discuss where Laura might have gone. Wesley's suspicion that she has run away from home foreshadows the eventual revelation that she has been enduring sexual abuse:
“It’s what I suspect, Charlie. I’m not sure what their household is like, I don’t pretend to know what happens under their roof. I mean, it’s not fair for me to speculate as to why she would want to up and leave, but I do feel there’s a streak in her character that could lead her to do something like that. To leave without telling anybody. They’ll probably pick her up someplace close, or she’ll be in contact when her money runs out.”
Related Themes:
Chapter 6
Explanation and Analysis—Ruth's Secrets:
In Chapter 6, Charlie witnesses a fight between his parents. The fight foreshadows Ruth's affair and eventual departure from Corrigan, but it also hints that Charlie might be an unreliable narrator at times because he is so young:
Unlock with LitCharts A+Toward the end, she was hysterical, my mother. Out of control. She began blaming Corrigan for everything. It was harming her family. It wasn’t safe anymore. She said we needed to get out, start somewhere else. Then it clicked for me. I knew what she was doing.
And maybe my father did too. Finally, he pushed off the doorway and stood straight. He was so calm.
“Ruth, there are things in this world that you don’t think I know, but I do. For now, I think it’s time you went to bed. You too, Charlie.
Related Themes:
