Final answer:
Foreshadowing is a literary technique where authors provide hints about future events in a narrative, used to create suspense or prepare readers for future plot developments. Literary analysis examines how this, along with other elements like setting and character development, influences the overall story.
Step-by-step explanation:
Foreshadowing is a literary technique used by authors to give readers a hint or indication of future events in a narrative. This technique often contributes to creating suspense or preparing the audience for what may come later in the story. For instance, when reading a novel, you might come across a seemingly innocuous detail or conversation that hints at future complications or plot twists. Literary analysis involves examining these techniques, along with other elements such as character development, plot, setting, and theme, to understand how they contribute to the overall narrative of the text. To provide an example, in the classic play Antigone, the character Tiresias warns Creon that terrible things will happen to his family unless he changes his ways and frees Antigone. This warning serves as foreshadowing because it suggests that Creon’s actions will have dire consequences, and it prepares the reader for the tragic events that will unfold. Another key aspect of literary analysis is exploring how the setting can influence the story and enhance tension. The setting includes all the physical and social aspects in which the story takes place, and certain elements of the setting might also serve as foreshadowing devices. For instance, stormy weather or darkened rooms could foreshadow ominous developments within the narrative.