Have you ever wished that you could see the future? While using foreshadow may not be the answer, it definitely gets close. Foreshadowing an event means that you are creating a scene that will help develop a different event in the future. One novel that brilliantly displays the use of foreshadow is Of Mice and Men, by John Steinbeck. Steinbeck is one of many authors that incorporates foreshadow numerous times in his novel. Though in this novel there are three particular events that help foreshadow the crucial events throughout this story.
The first main instance where the author includes foreshadow is when George and Lennie were engaged in a conversation on the way to the ranch. After Lennie had made an …show more content…
George and Candy had just finished a conversation, and Candy decides to change the subject to his dog. Candy says, “I ought to of shot that dog myself.” While this may not appear to be anything special, there is actually a huge twist behind it. George considers Lennie to be his “dog,” and after listening to Candy’s comment, he realizes that after all Lennie has been through, it only seems right if he kills him himself. This quote ultimately foreshadows how George will kill Lennie, and not let some other guy do the job for him. To sum it up, Steinbeck does a terrific job using foreshadow during this particular time in the novel.
The final instance in which Steinbeck skillfully displays the use of foreshadow is when Candy’s dog is about to be put down. Carlson basically begged Candy to let him kill his dog, telling him that the dog “Won’t even feel it.” This statement reinforces the earlier statement about how George must kill Lennie. It foreshadows how George will shoot Lennie in a quick and painless fashion. Nevertheless, Steinbeck takes foreshadow to a whole new level and applies it during a scene that only lasted for a couple