Foreshadowing
A narrative technique in which earlier events, imagery, or language subtly anticipate later developments. Foreshadowing creates suspense and suggests inevitability, allowing readers to retrospectively recognise early warnings.
Real World
In John Steinbeck's Of Mice and Men, Lennie's accidental killing of his puppy foreshadows the fatal encounter with Curley's wife, creating a sense of tragic inevitability that pervades the novella.
Exam Focus
Quote the foreshadowing moment and explain how its significance only becomes clear retrospectively.
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