Previous
Foil
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
Chapter 1
Explanation and Analysis—Extremely Dangerous:
The beginning of the novel features several hints that lead the reader to expect that something bad will happen at Hanging Rock. This sinister foreshadowing continues after the fateful picnic, as Lindsay makes the reader doubt that the girls will be found or that the mystery will be cleared up.
Related Themes:
Chapter 10
Explanation and Analysis—Spreading Pattern:
At the start of Chapter 10, the narrator takes stock of the story so far: "The reader taking a bird’s eye view of events since the picnic will have noted how various individuals on its outer circumference have somehow become involved in the spreading pattern." This pattern becomes an extended metaphor in the novel, which—as it's consistently described as "spreading" or somehow in motion—foreshadows the continued consequences of the fateful day at Hanging Rock. As the novel moves towards its unresolved end, the mysterious pattern of death and destruction continues to unfold.
Unlock with LitCharts A+
Related Themes:
