Wednesday, August 8, 2012

What are 6 examples of foreshadowing in the story "After Twenty Years"?

O. Henry's ironic story of the reunion of old companions
in "After Twenty Years" contains some foreshadowing, or rather subtle hints, that the
friends have changed greatly and these changes may affect their reunion.  But, the
surprise of the ending is that the reader does not know which two characters will meet
each other at the designated corner.  Here are six examples of the subtle foreshadowing
of O. Henry:


  1. Trying doors as he went,
    twirling his club with many intricate and artful movements, turning now and then to cast
    his watchful eye adown the pacific thoroughfare, the officer, with his stalwart form and
    slight swagger, made a fine picture of a guardian of the peace.
      [This hints
    that the policeman is proud of his position in law
    enforcement.]

  2. When about midway of a certain
    block the policeman suddenly slowed his walk. In the
    doorway of a darkened hardware store a man leaned, with an unlighted cigar in his
    mouth.
    [This suggests that the policeman may have recognized
    someone.]

  3. The man in the doorway struck a match
    and lit his cigar. The light showed a pale, square-jawed face with keen eyes, and a
    little white scar near his right eyebrow. 
    [When the match lights up the man's
    face he is seen by the policeman, but the policeman remains in the
    shadows.]

  4. The light showed a pale, square jawed
    face with keen eyes, and a little white scar near his right eyebrow. His scarf pin was a
    large diamond, oddly set.
    [Along with the scar, the pin is something that is
    clearly distinguishable about the man, so the policeman may recognize him from a
    description distributed to police
    stations.]

  5. "We figured that in twenty years
    each of us ought to have our destiny worked out and our fortunes made, whatever they
    were going to be.”
    [These words are ironically true and hint at the destiny
    of the speaker as he talks to the
    policeman.]

  6. "I'll be on my way. Hope your
    friend comes around all right. Going to call time on him sharp?”

“I should
say not!” said the other. “I'll give him half an hour at least. If Jimmy is alive on
earth he'll be here by that time. So long, officer.” 
[The officer asks if
the stranger "will call time" on his friend so he can figure how much time he has to
have the man in the doorway captured.]

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