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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
Chapter 1
Explanation and Analysis—Carmilla's Identity :
Le Fanu uses foreshadowing throughout Carmilla to build suspense. The novella's atmospheric descriptions to create an eerie and foreboding mood, and these elements of the setting often foreshadow imminent encounters between Laura and Carmilla. Le Fanu incorporates multiple literary elements to foreshadow and build anticipation for the ominous events that take place in the story. An subtle instance of foreshadowing occurs early on in the novella in Chapter 1, for example, when Laura describes a dream she has of a young woman watching her:
I was vexed and insulted at finding myself, as I conceived, neglected, and I began to whimper, preparatory to a hearty bout of roaring; when to my surprise, I saw a solemn, but very pretty face looking at me from the side of the bed. It was that of a young lady who was kneeling, with her hands under the coverlet. I looked at her with a kind of pleased wonder, and ceased whimpering. She caressed me with her hands, and lay down beside me on the bed, and drew me towards her, smiling.
Laura experiences both fear and a sense of "pleased wonder" toward the young woman who suddenly appears beside her bed. This sudden change in emotion hints at the young girl's intriguing and even mesmerizing nature. It's clear that Laura is captivated by the young woman. Yet although the young woman caresses Laura, the mysterious circumstances of her sudden appearance hints at an unsettling sense of danger.
This young woman turns out to be Carmilla, whom Laura encounters a few years later in Chapter 3. Carmilla's background is mysterious and she, like the young woman, arrives unexpectedly. When Laura finally does meet Carmilla, she is surprised to find:
I saw the very face which had visited me in my childhood at night, which remained so fixed in my memory, and on which I had for so many years so often ruminated with horror, when no one suspected of what I was thinking. It was pretty, even beautiful; and when I first beheld it, wore the same melancholy expression. But this almost instantly lighted into a strange fixed smile of recognition.
This is one of several passages that hints at Carmilla's vampiric nature. Several characters, for example, experience unsettling dreams and nightmares featuring Carmilla. As the story progresses, descriptions of Carmilla as well as her victims also hint at a connection between their state and her presence. Laura's deteriorating condition, for example, foreshadows the consequences of Carmilla's feeding on her.
Related Themes:
Explanation and Analysis—Vampire's Bite:
Instead of describing Carmilla biting Laura in literal terms, the novella uses a metaphor. Laura first describes the sensation in Chapter 1, during the strange dream she has of the young girl who turns out to be Carmilla:
I was awakened by a sensation as if two needles ran into my breast very deep at the same moment, and cried loudly. The lady started back, with her eyes fixed on me, and then slipped down upon the floor, and as I thought, hid herself under the bed.
Laura describes a sudden, sharp sensation. The suddenness of the physical sensation creates a moment of intense foreboding and suspense and is also a pivotal moment in the narrative. The young girl's reaction suggests that she is the cause of the physical encounter or attack Laura experiences.
Le Fanu's uses the metaphor again to foreshadow Carmilla's identity as a vampire in Chapter 6. Laura describes the sensation again:
I felt a stinging pain as if two large needles darted, an inch or two apart, deep into my breast. I waked with a scream. The room was lighted by the candle that burnt there all through the night, and I saw a female figure standing at the foot of the bed.
Rather than making it explicit for the reader that Carmilla is biting Laura, Le Fanu hints at it using figurative language. By repeating the image of "two large needles," Le Fanu underscores its significance. In doing so, he suggests to the reader that there might be more to Carmilla than meets the eye, raising doubts about her true nature and intentions. Moreover, Le Fanu's description of "two needles" also allows the reader to more easily imagine Laura's experience. Instead of just describing Carmilla's attack simple as a "bite," Le Fanu uses metaphor to evoke a strong image in the reader's mind and better allow them to empathize with the pain Laura is feeling.
Related Themes:
Chapter 3
Explanation and Analysis—Carmilla's Identity :
Le Fanu uses foreshadowing throughout Carmilla to build suspense. The novella's atmospheric descriptions to create an eerie and foreboding mood, and these elements of the setting often foreshadow imminent encounters between Laura and Carmilla. Le Fanu incorporates multiple literary elements to foreshadow and build anticipation for the ominous events that take place in the story. An subtle instance of foreshadowing occurs early on in the novella in Chapter 1, for example, when Laura describes a dream she has of a young woman watching her:
I was vexed and insulted at finding myself, as I conceived, neglected, and I began to whimper, preparatory to a hearty bout of roaring; when to my surprise, I saw a solemn, but very pretty face looking at me from the side of the bed. It was that of a young lady who was kneeling, with her hands under the coverlet. I looked at her with a kind of pleased wonder, and ceased whimpering. She caressed me with her hands, and lay down beside me on the bed, and drew me towards her, smiling.
Laura experiences both fear and a sense of "pleased wonder" toward the young woman who suddenly appears beside her bed. This sudden change in emotion hints at the young girl's intriguing and even mesmerizing nature. It's clear that Laura is captivated by the young woman. Yet although the young woman caresses Laura, the mysterious circumstances of her sudden appearance hints at an unsettling sense of danger.
This young woman turns out to be Carmilla, whom Laura encounters a few years later in Chapter 3. Carmilla's background is mysterious and she, like the young woman, arrives unexpectedly. When Laura finally does meet Carmilla, she is surprised to find:
I saw the very face which had visited me in my childhood at night, which remained so fixed in my memory, and on which I had for so many years so often ruminated with horror, when no one suspected of what I was thinking. It was pretty, even beautiful; and when I first beheld it, wore the same melancholy expression. But this almost instantly lighted into a strange fixed smile of recognition.
This is one of several passages that hints at Carmilla's vampiric nature. Several characters, for example, experience unsettling dreams and nightmares featuring Carmilla. As the story progresses, descriptions of Carmilla as well as her victims also hint at a connection between their state and her presence. Laura's deteriorating condition, for example, foreshadows the consequences of Carmilla's feeding on her.
Related Themes:
Explanation and Analysis—Cleopatra:
An allusion to Cleopatra occurs in Chapter 3 when Laura describes the room in which Carmilla stays when she first arrives at the estate, and the allusion also serves as foreshadowing:
Our visitor lay in one of the handsomest rooms in the schloss. It was, perhaps, a little stately. There was a somber piece of tapestry opposite the foot of the bed, representing Cleopatra with the asps to her bosom; and other solemn classic scenes were displayed, a little faded, upon the other walls. But there was a gold carving, and rich and varied color enough in the other decorations of the room, to more than redeem the gloom of the old tapestry.
Laura describes a tapestry featuring Cleopatra, the Queen of Egypt who ruled from 51 to 30 B.C.E. Cleopatra was the last ruler of the Ptolemaic Kingdom. The imagery in the tapestry alludes to the famous account of her death. According to legend, Cleopatra committed suicide by allowing herself to be bitten by an asp, a type of venomous snake, as a way to escape capture and potential humiliation by her enemies.
The reference to the asp's bite in the tapestry is an instance of foreshadowing that hints at Carmilla's identity as a vampire (since vampires also bite people) as well as the tragic events to follow. Moreover, the tapestry contributes to the room's gloomy and sinister atmosphere. The choice to depict such a grim and tragic scene adds a sense of solemnity and darkness to the scene.
Chapter 4
Explanation and Analysis—Like a Lullaby:
In Chapter 4, Laura uses a simile to describe the effect of Carmilla's loving words and "trembling embrace":
My energies seemed to fail me. Her murmured words sounded like a lullaby in my ear, and soothed my resistance into a trance, from which I only seemed to recover myself when she withdrew her arms.
Laura compares Carmilla's words to a lullaby. This unusual comparison suggests that her words have a soothing quality that resembles the comforting sound of a lullaby sung to a child. Lullabies are, of course, known for their gentle, rhythmic and tranquil nature and are sung specifically to lull a person into a state of relaxation or sleep. Le Fanu's simile thus conveys how Carmilla's words have a profound impact on Laura: they have a hypnotic quality and lull her into a trance-like state. This description implies Carmilla's speech has a mesmerizing effect and that she exerts a subtle control over Laura's emotions and will.
The simile also evokes the gentle, melodious nature of Carmilla's voice to the reader, creating a sense of tranquility and comfort. All in all, Le Fanu's use of simile here emphasizes the power of Carmilla's speech in its ability to influence Laura while importantly suggesting a subtle manipulation or even enchantment on the part of Carmilla.
Related Themes:
Chapter 6
Explanation and Analysis—Vampire's Bite:
Instead of describing Carmilla biting Laura in literal terms, the novella uses a metaphor. Laura first describes the sensation in Chapter 1, during the strange dream she has of the young girl who turns out to be Carmilla:
I was awakened by a sensation as if two needles ran into my breast very deep at the same moment, and cried loudly. The lady started back, with her eyes fixed on me, and then slipped down upon the floor, and as I thought, hid herself under the bed.
Laura describes a sudden, sharp sensation. The suddenness of the physical sensation creates a moment of intense foreboding and suspense and is also a pivotal moment in the narrative. The young girl's reaction suggests that she is the cause of the physical encounter or attack Laura experiences.
Le Fanu's uses the metaphor again to foreshadow Carmilla's identity as a vampire in Chapter 6. Laura describes the sensation again:
I felt a stinging pain as if two large needles darted, an inch or two apart, deep into my breast. I waked with a scream. The room was lighted by the candle that burnt there all through the night, and I saw a female figure standing at the foot of the bed.
Rather than making it explicit for the reader that Carmilla is biting Laura, Le Fanu hints at it using figurative language. By repeating the image of "two large needles," Le Fanu underscores its significance. In doing so, he suggests to the reader that there might be more to Carmilla than meets the eye, raising doubts about her true nature and intentions. Moreover, Le Fanu's description of "two needles" also allows the reader to more easily imagine Laura's experience. Instead of just describing Carmilla's attack simple as a "bite," Le Fanu uses metaphor to evoke a strong image in the reader's mind and better allow them to empathize with the pain Laura is feeling.
Related Themes:
