Why is foreshadowing important in short stories, and how does it affect the way the reader interprets the story?

Foreshadowing is a wonderful technique that I imagine is
not the easiest device to use. It requires a great deal of planning ahead, knowing
exactly what the ending will be, and including enough to pique the reader's curiosity,
but not enough to give away the ending.

Dr. L. Kip Wheeler
provides the following definition for foreshadowing:

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Suggesting, hinting, indicating, or showing what
will occur later in a narrative. Foreshadowing often provides hints about what will
happen next.

Foreshadowing
provides clues as to what is to come, and for a perceptive reader, using this technique
is particularly engaging.

For example, in The
Westing Game, by Ellen Raskin, the story is built on the premise that a
mystery needs to be solved by the story's conclusion. Clues are presented to the
characters (and therefore the reader) throughout the book. However, the additional use
of foreshadowing is particularly engaging as students try to imagine what the
foreshadowing is before it becomes apparent by the plot development, in hopes that it
will help with the clues and the solving of the mystery. It creates a great deal of
discussion and higher-level thinking as students try to figure out what the mystery is
first.

When a student is aware that foreshadowing is in
use, he/she will often be much more careful reading and watching for important details,
which support the plot without giving away too much information. I learned early in
teaching that if a writer mentions a gun on the wall, if he/she is a good author, the
gun had better go off before the end of the story. Sometimes trying to get this across
is helpful by showing a clip of a movie or reading a poem with foreshadowing. Once the
concept is mastered, looking for foreshadowing becomes entertaining, along with
identifying the story's themes.