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Definition of Foreshadowing
Foreshadowing is a literary device in which authors hint at plot developments that don't actually occur until later in the story. Foreshadowing can be achieved directly or indirectly, by making... read full definition
Foreshadowing is a literary device in which authors hint at plot developments that don't actually occur until later in the story. Foreshadowing can be achieved... read full definition
Foreshadowing is a literary device in which authors hint at plot developments that don't actually occur until later in the... read full definition
Chapter 1, “What The?”
Explanation and Analysis—Sixth Borough:
Foer plants quiet hints that pay off later, and he often does it through foreshadowing, by letting details surface long before readers have the context to understand them. In Chapter 1, Oskar's father begins a story:
Once upon a time, New York City had a sixth borough.
This image anticipates the fable of the Sixth Borough, which Foer will not include until much later in the novel. This moment also establishes, from the start, Oskar's desire to inhabit another universe.
Foer also builds suspense by withholding key information. Early on, Oskar lists the timestamps of five voicemails from his father.
Message one. Tuesday, 8:52 AM. Is anybody there? Hello? It's Dad...
There were four more messages from him: one at 9:12, one at 9:31, one at 9:46, and one at 10:04.
The messages themselves are revealed, one by one, throughout the entire book. The reader is always aware of the messages they have yet to hear. The timestamps act like planted clues. Likewise, the first "Why I'm Not Where You Are" chapter drops traits (loss of speech and obsessive writing) that quietly signal the author's identity long before Oskar connects "the renter" to his grandfather.
Taken together, these small cues create a puzzle-box feel. Foreshadowing aligns the book's form with Oskar's worldview: life is legible if you notice patterns.
Related Themes:
