Previous
Allegory
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
Foreshadowing
Explanation and Analysis—One More Thing...:
In this passage, the author employs a simile and foreshadowing to heighten the fairy-tale beauty of the city of Omelas itself, and to introduce a sense of looming darkness:
The crowds along the racecourse are like a field of grass and flowers in the wind. The Festival of Summer has begun.
Do you believe? Do you accept the festival, the city, the joy? No? Then let me describe one more thing.
The simile describing the crowds as "a field of grass and flowers in the wind" evokes a sense of natural beauty and freedom for the reader. The city of Omelas is beautiful, and even its “crowds” are more like flowers than people. The passage conveys a sense of unity and community that’s emotionally appealing, reinforcing the utopian atmosphere of the Summer Festival. Everything is perfect—too perfect.
At this point, the story takes a sinister turn as the narrator shifts to a second-person address. They go from fantastical figurative language to speaking directly to the reader, challenging them with questions: "Do you believe? Do you accept the festival, the city, the joy?" This direct engagement changes the tone of the passage significantly. It clearly suggests that the perfection of Omelas may be too good to be true. The narrator’s tone goes from joyful and excited to ominous, indicating that beneath the surface beauty of Omelas there lies a deeper, darker truth yet to be revealed. The foreshadowing here is important, as it prepares the reader for a shift in the story, one where the cruelty at the heart of this utopia shows itself.
Related Themes:
Explanation and Analysis—Archaic Smiles:
After laying out the scene of the Summer Festival, Le Guin uses foreshadowing to hint at underlying issues within the seemingly perfect utopia of Omelas. In doing so, she instills a sense of unease despite the dreamy atmosphere of the revelry in the sparkling city:
Joyous! How is one to tell about joy? How describe the citizens of Omelas?
They were not simple folk, you see, though they were happy. But we do not say the words of cheer much anymore. All smiles have become archaic.
The foreshadowing here is subtle, but it’s an important moment in the story. In this passage, the narrator is foreshadowing the central idea of the story; that the “joy” of Omelas is not “simple.” By stating that the citizens "were not simple folk, though they were happy," the narrator draws an odd distinction that suggests something rotten underneath the surface of this utopia. Additionally, the use of the word "archaic" to describe smiles and “words of cheer” is disconcerting. The word “archaic” means “very old-fashioned.” The implication that basic human expressions of joy have become obsolete or useless in Omelas subtly prepares the reader to learn why such a thing might have come to pass. It sets the stage for the ethical quandary of the scapegoat child, whose presence both taints and causes all happiness in Omelas. Even at this early point, Le Guin is unsettling her reader, suggesting that this utopia must indeed be too perfect to be true.
Related Themes:
