significant connections

You are on the top of a mountain, freezing cold, snow, ice,howling winds and a little voice inside your head hints you that something bad is to come, What do you do? This is an example of foreshadowing. Foreshadowing is a language technique used in many movies /books to create tension within the reader. Foreshadowing can be used in many different ways to create tension and suspense within the reader to draw them into the text. These texts are Into thin air by Jon krakauer, Touching the Void by Joe Simpson, The shawshank redemption directed by Frank Darabont, And the lord of the flies by WIlliam Golding. These texts all show how foreshadowing creates tension within the reader in many different settings and styles to draw the reader further into the text and what these different uses of foreshadowing teach us about human nature.

In the text Into thin air by Jon Krakauer. The author places many hints within the book to explain what could happen later in the text. Jon uses foreshadowing in the book into thin air through extreme and stressful situations to create tension within the reader. Foreshadowing in extreme and stressful situations is seen throughout the book into thin air but it is most evident when leading up to Rob hall’s expedition up Mount Everest when Rob Hall’s expedition is down at base camp, where the climbers are suffering from the high altitude and are nervous for the climb to come and Rob is talking to his fellow climbers about and the book states that ” Hall, Harris and Litch were in complete agreement that sooner or later a major disaster involving a large number of clients was “inevitable” But, said Litch— who had climbed Everest from Tibet the previous spring— “Rob’s feeling was that it wouldn’t be him.” This quote shows that Rob new that an accident was going to happen one day but he was to selfish to realise that it could be his group. this is foreshadowing that Robs group will get caught up in this major disaster that Rob and his climbing partners foreshadowed. This teaches us about human nature that in extreme and stressful situations in times where we think an accident could happen people still go ahead with the mindset that it’s not going to be me because they are to selfish or naive to understand the risks. When rob states just before the climb ” With enough determination, any bloody idiot can get up this hill”…”The trick is to get back down alive” This quote teaches the reader that to get up the mountain you need determination but to get down you need a lot more than that this such as skill, experience, and determination. foreshadows the problems on the peak of everest because rob was leading up a rather unskillful crew of climbers who had a lot of determination to get up the hill.But lacked the skill to survive the downhill. This teaches us about human nature that when we are in an extreme or stressful situation and we get to the top of something we think that we’ve conquered it or that’s the hard bit done whereas the downhill or decent in most cases is the one where most people get into trouble and accidents occur. And that is exactly what happened to rob hall’s expedition . These uses of foreshadowing through extreme situations helps to build tension within the reader, because it makes the reader wonder what is going to happen next in the text and what could go wrong. This pulls the reader in and creates tension because the main characters lives are being threatened/ foreshadowed to have an accident. This makes the reader read on because they want to see how the text plays out because of the use of foreshadowing in extreme situations

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Touching the void by Joe Simpson creates tension within the reader by creating foreshadowing. This foreshadowing is evident in extreme situations where the characters are under immense pressure/ stress to get out of a potentially dangerous situation. Foreshadowing through extreme situations is present all throughout the book, however leading up to the climax when simon is lowering Joe down the harsh environments of the west face of siula le grande where Joe has just broken his leg shows the most foreshadowing as the author is building up the tension within the reader up to the climax of the book. This is shown by the quote, “It was the slope. . Of course! I should have thought of it earlier. It was now much steeper, and that could only mean one thing- I was approaching another drop.” This quote shows that Joe finally realised that something was wrong. This creates tension within the reader as Joe is in a very extreme situation and it makes the reader wonder what is going to happen next in the text and what the main characters of Joe and Simon are about to experience. This quote is further supported by the quote ““He’s trying to be quick…. That’s all. I knew it to be true, but there was still something wrong.” This quote also shows how Joe new that something was going to go wrong. This creates tension within the reader in this extreme situation because it makes the reader wonder what is going to go wrong. It also puts the reader into the main characters shoes making them wonder what they would have done differently in this situation, creating tension. These two quotes that build tension within the reader teach us about human nature that in times of great tension or stress our moral compass will think ahead and give us hints or tell us what is going to happen next so we can figure out ways to get out of the extreme situation. And this is exactly what happened as Joe was about to be lowered of the cliff into the void however he couldn’t do anything to stop himself. This part of the text in Touching the Void as the characters Joe and simon are going through a extreme situation creates tension within the readers by using foreshadowing. Joe uses foreshadowing in this part of the text as the characters are in a extreme situation to help build up tension within the reader leading up to the climax of the book. In comparison the text Touching the void by Joe Krakener is very similar in the way that it creates tension within the viewers through foreshadowing. This is because in both books the characters are going through extreme situations up on the faces of Siula le grand and Everest. This is show when rob hall’s expedition is in the extreme environment of the everest base camp foreshadows the fatal decent that he and his expedition would go through as they descend Mount Everest in a raging full force storm. These both create tension in similar ways by using foreshadowing to make the reader wonder what is going to happen next. This creates tension within the reader leading up to the climaxes of both texts to draw the reader in. These two texts teach us a lot about how human nature relates to foreshadowing, Because in both these texts the characters are given hints from there moral compass to tell them what is going to happen next in the text through the use of foreshadowing by the author of both texts.

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The movie the Shawshank redemption, directed by Frank Darabont creates tension within the reader by using foreshadowing. Frank uses foreshadowing in this movie to create tension within the reader by giving them hints of hope/ false hope that one day Andy would escape from the shawshank prison. Foreshadowing is used throughout the text however at the start of the text as Andy has been convicted  for the murder of his wife and her boyfriend and he has just been sent to the Shawshank prison, the warden comes around each of the new inmates cells giving them the bible and the warden says to andy that ” salvation lies within,” while referring to the bible That is given to every new inmate. This is foreshadowing Andy’s escape because he had a small rock hammer hidden inside the bible that ultimately helped him escape to his salvation by digging through a concrete wall with the rock hammer. This quote builds tension within the reader because it gives the reader hope that one day Andy will escape from the Shawshank prison to his salvation. Another foreshadowing quote that builds tension in the reader is the quote narrated by red andys friend “I have to remind myself that some birds aren’t meant to be caged: their feathers are just too bright”. This quote foreshadows andy’s escape because Andy wasn’t meant to go to Jail as he didn’t kill his wife and her boyfriend, that we later learn in the text. This teaches the reader that some people aren’t meant to be locked up in jail but the ones that are, are the ones that try the hardest to get out. This builds tension within the reader because it gives the reader hope that Andy will escape but it also builds tension by making the reader angry/annoyed at the present day justice system that sends people away for crimes that they didn’t commit. It also makes the reader wonder what they would do if they got locked away for a crime that they didn’t commit. Another quote that foreshadows Andy’s escape by giving the reader hope is when red and Andy are talking about what they are going to do after prison, and red says “shitty pipe dreams,” Which is foreshadowing that andy will escape through a sewer pipe. This creates tension within the reader because it gives the reader hope as well as making the reader want to see how it all pans out. The movie the shawshank redemption creates tension within the reader by giving the reader hope that Andy will escape from the Shawshank prison because he has been committed for a crime that he never did. This creates tension because it makes the reader wonder how andy is going to escape. It also puts the reader in andys shoes, making them wonder what they would do if they were in this situation. In comparison with the text touching the void and Into thin air, the shawshank redemption creates tension within the reader differently. This is because the director, Frank Darabont uses foreshadowing by giving the reader hope that Andy will escape from prison to create tension within the reader. Compared to the book touching the void and Into thin air, where the author, Joe simpson ( touching the void) and Jon Krakauer ( into thin air) uses foreshadowing in extreme situations such as on the top of a mountain in a storm or lowering someone down a mountain with a broken leg in -40 degree temperatures to create tension within the reader by making them wonder what is going to happen to the characters next in the text ad what they are going to do to stop it. These two texts also teach us a lesson about human nature that no matter what the situation is or how serious it is the use of foreshadowing can help give you hope that you will get out the other side, even if your on the top of a mountain of locked away in a maximum security prison.

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The text the lord of the flies by William Golding uses foreshadowing through out the text to create tension within the reader up to the climax of the book. The Author William golding uses foreshadowing through the use of false foreshadowing to build tension within the reader leading up to the climax of the text. This use of false foreshadowing is used by william in specific situations throughout the text. One of these specific situations is when piggy, Ralph’s friend is killed by another group of children that are living on the island. And the Conch the only control ralph had left was shattered” But the boulder strikes Piggy, shatters the conch shell he is holding,” this quote shows the moment where piggy is killed and the conch is broken This foreshadows that Ralph will have a harsh ending in the text as piggy was ralphs only friend left so without piggy the reader is almost certain that ralph will perish as well as having no control over the other kids because he has lost his conch, which was a signage of his leadership so without it he was nothing. This builds tension within the reader because they want to see how the text pans out. However with the use of false foreshadowing William Golding goes against the readers thoughts and portrays a different ending, a ending where Ralph doesn’t perish. This builds up tension within the reader because the quick plot twist caused by the false foreshadowing draws the reader in and builds up tension within the text up to the climax of the text where ralph is rescued. This teaches us about human nature that in times of great dilema or stress we have a way of getting around or passed it and ultimately get out the otherside a better person than we once were, and this is exactly what happened to Ralph in this text. In comparison to the text the shawshank redemption directed by Frank Darabont, William Golding uses a different method of foreshadowing to create tension within the readers/viewers by using false foreshadowing to portray a different ending of the text to the one that was foreshadowed compared to to how frank Darabont uses hope to build tension within the reader.  However these two different uses of foreshadowing both create tension within the reader in equal ways to draw the reader into the text leading up to the climax of the text. However these two uses of foreshadowing in these texts teach us a different lessons about human nature as to how people will react different ways in different situations. 

Conclusion

Weather it’s through an extreme situation thousands of feet above sea level, attempting to escape from a maximum security prison through a sewer pipe, or being abandoned on a barren island with a bunch of feral kids, foreshadowing always draws the reader further into the book by creating tension through different circumstances. This is shown through the texts Into thin air by Jon Krakauer, Touching the void by Joe Simpson, The Shawshank redemption directed by Frank Darabont, and the lord of the flies by William golding. In all of these texts the main characters are put through Countless varying situations that involve foreshadowing to create different types of foreshadowing within the reader. All of these texts show similar and different types of foreshadowing to build tension in the reader  to ultimately draw the reader into the text. As well as teaching us different lessons about human nature.

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