Let’s explore some foreshadowing examples in literature, shall we?
Foreshadowing in literature or a movie gives hints to the readers about future events. The hint could be about either positive or negative events. It is the best way to create tension, excitement, suspense, or thrill by giving some hints.
The hints could be direct or indirect, which means, the reader can either know for sure or can predict the events.
Foreshadowing in books is often noticeable if you pay attention. Authors do it to give a teeny tiny hint that keeps readers hooked on the story.
Foreshadowing is suitable for any type of genre, you just gotta know how and where you want to use it.
Types of Foreshadowing in Literature
There are various ways to achieve foreshadowing in literature. Let us talk about the types of foreshadowing.
Blunt Foreshadowing
In this method, the writer gives a direct hint of future events. The hints are straightforward, which makes the reader aware of what’s going to happen.
Now, you might think the direct hint might ruin the surprise part of the novel. But that’s not the case. Readers just know the events, not the circumstances that lead to the events. You know “what” is going to happen, but you don’t know “how and why” it is going to happen.
For example,
“I am sure she is going to be our future daughter-in-law, Jack.”, Judy said with a bright smile. This is the direct positive foreshadowing.
Vague Foreshadowing
Vague foreshadowing is an indirect way to provide the hints. These hints just give an idea of something big is going to happen in the future.
Readers cannot predict the “what and how” in Vague foreshadowing. The events bring a big surprise to the readers. Vague foreshadowing increases the excitement of the readers by not revealing the event.
For example,
“He hates her, they can never be together.” This gives the hint that they might or might not end up together in the future.
Ways to introduce foreshadowing in Books
Foreshadowing in literature or in a movie can be done in different ways.
Dialogue
You can write a conversation between two, in which you can add a foreshadowing. You can either directly reveal the hints or use some specific indirect words or events to provide hints via dialogues.
For example:
Ryan: Sam will be devastated after going back home. He has no idea what his future holds.
Bella: I know. It’s heartbreaking.
This is the indirect way to tell that something bad has happened at Sam’s place and he is going to discover that soon (so will readers)
Or you can directly mention what Sam is about to face when he goes back home like, Sam will be devastated to see the dead body of his father. He has no idea what his future holds.
Description
To add a hint of future events, embedding it in a description of some events is also a good idea. Write in a flow and add some direct or indirect hints without breaking the flow. You just got to make sure readers get the hint.
For example,
Sam was in his office having a perfectly normal day. He had lunch with his colleagues and had a regular coffee break at 4. He was working overtime with no knowledge of what had happened in his house in the afternoon.
Comparison with other events
To give a hint of an event, you can write a similar event about someone else. That someone could be a person, animal, or even an object.
For example,
She heard how a group of people decided to visit the cave for fun even after knowing the terrifying truth about the place. ‘People disappear in that cave’, native ones would say. ‘My son went to the cave for fun and never came back’, an old man had told her. She tried to warn her friends, but no one listened. She knew something terrible is going to happen.
Here, we get hints from previous events that happened with someone else. So readers expect something similar or more terrifying with this group of friends.
Dream
A dream or a nightmare could be the best way to add hints to your story. Either protagonist will have a dream about something or a different character in the novel will see something unusual in their dream.
For example,
“Wait…Amanda watch yourself…don’t be mad…wait… Amanda”, Sam was screaming. But Amanda was not in the mood to settle things. She was running to get a cab home. “I am not in a mood, Sam. I am deeply hurt. Why didn’t you tell me before?”, It was dark and she was crying in the middle of the road. Before Sam could reach her, a bus hit her to death. “Amandaaaa,” sam screamed and woke up with eyes wide open and a hand trying to catch Amanda. It was a horrible dream. He took a deep breath and prayed his nightmare to never get true.
This foreshadowing tells readers that something bad might happen to Amanda.
Likewise, there are so many ways to introduce foreshadowing. Flashbacks, Statements from characters can also help in foreshadowing.
Five Famous Foreshadowing Examples In Literature
Arya Stark’s big moments in GOT
The Red Priestess, Melisandre says to Arya in season three
I see darkness in you. And in the darkness, eyes staring back at me. Brown eyes, blue eyes, green eyes. Eyes you’ll shut forever. We will meet again.
This was the big hint that Arya is going to Kill the Night king.
Harry Potter’s fascinating future
In book one, McGonagall says to Dumbledore about Harry,
He’ll be famous — a legend — I wouldn’t be surprised if today was known as Harry Potter Day in the future — there will be books written about Harry — every child in our world will know his name!
Titanic’s terrible climax
Titanic is unsinkable.
This dialogue comes in Titanic a number of times which gives an obvious hint of the terrifying climax of the movie.
Teddy’s Mental health in Shutter Island
In one of the scenes, Teddy interrogates a lady who asks for water. In the scene, as a viewer, we don’t see any glass in her hand. Then viewers see as she places the empty glass on the table. Finally, she gets up leaving behind the half-empty glass. This scene clearly gives a hint of Teddy’s mental state which viewers fail to catch.
Captain America is worthy
In Avenger’s Age of Ultron, Captain America moves the mighty Mjolnir a little bit which was the big foreshadowing for Endgame. In the Avengers Endgame, he was worthy to lift the Mjolnir to fight against Thanos.
So, do you have any ideas for foreshadowing in your novel?
If you are planning to start a novel, here is how you can create an outline for the novel.
Enjoy writing!
