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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 13
Explanation and Analysis—Christine & Erik :
Leroux uses foreshadowing to hint at impending events throughout the novel. For example, he foreshadows the conflict between Erik and Christine in Chapter 13 when Christine recounts seeing Erik's eyes and face:
through the holes that were his eyes, his nose and his mouth – the unfettered anger and sovereign fury of a demon; and yet not the slightest gleam from those eye sockets, for, as I was to learn later, his burning eyes only shone in the darkest night. Recoiling against the wall, I must have seemed the very embodiment of terror, just as he was hideousness incarnate.
The Phantom's presence lends the story a sense of foreboding; here he permits Christine to see him in order to reveal the truth of his deformity. The phrase "burning eyes" makes him sound like a demonic monster, which is how Raoul (and sometimes Christine) perceives him. Christine contrasts herself ("the very embodiment of terror") with Erik ("hideousness incarnate") with very dramatic phrases. Erik draws closer and invites her to "feast [her] eyes" on his ugliness; here, the horror of Erik's face eclipses that of his glowing eyes. This moment of Christine's terror also foreshadows future conflict between them, including Erik's marriage proposal ultimatum.
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