In Gothic fiction, imagery and foreshadowing often go hand in hand. Animals and various natural elements—including wind, weather, and the construction of the landscape—both parallel the activity of supernatural actors and foreshadow it. This is exemplified in the following passage from Chapter 1, where the Otis family first enters the grounds of Canterville Chase:
As they entered the avenue of Canterville Chase, however, the sky became suddenly overcast with clouds, a curious stillness seemed to hold the atmosphere, a great flight of rooks passed silently over their heads, and, before they reached the house, some big drops of rain had fallen.
Both the weather and the behavior of animals indicate, according to the precedent set by Gothic tropes, that Canterville Chase is home to supernatural and otherworldly phenomena. The rooks (or crows), for instance, which are typically quite noisy birds, exhibit abnormal behavior by flying in complete silence. The weather, too, is abnormal, with the atmosphere becoming unnaturally still as soon as the family enters the avenue of Canterville Chase. It is no coincidence that the weather and atmosphere darken and become moodier the minute the family enters this supernatural dwelling. This shift in nature is a deliberate technique used in Gothic fiction to foreshadow the presence of otherworldly elements.
