FLASHBACK

Lesson 2

SPI 0701.8.7
Identify flashback,
foreshadowing, and
symbolism within
context.
Flashback
Now try breaking the word
FLASHBACK apart.
FLASH: a quick glimpse.
BACK: a look back in the story
at something that previously
happened.
 FLASHBACK
What It Is
 Turning back the clock
 Scenes that took place in the past
 Scenes literally “flash back”
 Brings story or play to a standstill
 Interrupts story’s chronological
order
FLASHBACK
 What It Is NOT!

 Just talking about the past

 Referring to past experiences

 Little Red Riding Hood
 The wolf went up to Little
Red Riding Hood and told
her that he knew a
shortcut. Little Red Riding
Hood thought back to
what her mother told her.
“Don’t talk to any
strangers and watch out
for the wolf in the woods!”
But it was too late, she
had already listened to
the wolf’s directions.

Flashback
Why Use Flashback?
 Gives audience first hand look
at the past
 Gives background that the
audience needs to understand
situations or characters
 Brings to life the memory of the
character having the flashback
Why Use Flashback?

 Lets audience understand

character behavior and
motivation

 May give some foreshadowing

clues as to the future of the
characters
Examples

“A Christmas Carol”

“It’s a Wonderful Life”

The Diary of Anne Frank(the

(the play version)
Examples

Harry Potter book & movies

“Lost” television show

“Family Guy” television show

“Buffy the Vampire Slayer”

 Creating Flashback
tip the reader that you are
leaving the present
transition statement such as, "John
remembered the day his father died."

clue the reader that you are

returning to the present
another transition sentence ("But that was then
and this was now, and John had to let the past
stay in the past."
Buddy Chat

Share with your learning

buddy a flashback from a
book or short story you
have read or a movie story
you have seen
Foreshadowing
Try breaking the word
FORESHADOWING apart.
FORE means ahead.
A SHADOW is a glimpse of
something without the
complete details.
 Foreshadowing

a way of indicating or
hinting at what will
come later
Foreshadowing

 can be subtle
like storm clouds on the horizon suggesting
that danger is coming

 more direct
such as Romeo and Juliet talking about
wanting to die rather than live without each
other
Foreshadowing
Why is it important?
 adds dramatic tension
 create suspense
 convey information to help
the reader understand what
comes later
How do I create foreshadowing
 placing clues, both subtle and
direct, into the text
mentioning an upcoming event
explaining the plans of the
people or characters portrayed
in the text
Ask yourself ????
 Are there phrases about the
future?

 Is there a change happening in

the weather, the setting, or the
mood?
Ask yourself ????
 Are there objects or scenic elements
that suggest something happy, sad,
dangerous, exciting, etc.?

 Do characters or the narrator observe

something in the background that might
be a hint about something to come
later?
 Little Red Riding Hood
 Once upon a time, there was
a little girl who lived with
her mother. Her mother
asked her to take her old
and lonely grandmother
some food one day. "Don't
stop along the way. Go
straight to your Grandma's
house and back. Don't talk
to any strangers and watch
out for the wolf in the
woods! Now get along!"

Foreshadowing
Foreshadowing Tip

often appears at the

beginning of a story or
chapter
Let’s Chat

Share with the class an

example of foreshadowing
from a book or short story
you have read or a movie
story you have seen
Symbolism
 *A person, place or object which
has a meaning in itself but suggests
other meanings as well.*
 However, a symbol is not what it
symbolizes.
 Things, characters and actions can
be symbols.
 *Anything that suggests a meaning
beyond the obvious.*
Symbolism
 Some symbols are conventional,
generally meaning the same thing to all
readers. 

 For example: bright sunshine

symbolizes goodness and water is a
symbolic cleanser.
Symbolism
 For example, a
dove is a bird,
but when used as
a symbol it
represents peace.
If the dove dies,
peace does not
die.
Symbolism
 Freedom

 United
States of
America
How to find symbolism?
 Recognize the signs.
 the frequency an object or character is
mentioned in a piece of literature--if it is
mentioned often, it is probably important.
 how much detail is used in describing an
object
 These two methods give clues that the writer
wants you to infer something about a
particular object.
Common Symbols of
Literature
 Sleep is often related to death.
Sleep is often related to death.
 Dreams are linked to the future or
fate.
 Seasons often represent ages:
○ spring—youth
○ summer--prime of life
○ autumn--middle age
○ winter--old age or death.
Common Symbols of
Literature
 Water is sometimes linked to the idea of
birth or purification.
 Colors are often linked to emotions:
○ red--anger,
○ blue—happiness
○ green--jealousy.
They are also used to represent states of being:
○ black--death or evil
○ white--purity or innocence
○ green--growth.
Common Symbols of
Literature
 Forests are often places of testing or
challenge.
 Light--as the sun, the moon, stars,
candles--often symbolizes good, hope,
freedom.
 Darkness is associated with evil, magic
or the unknown.
 Example 1: George looked down at Sandra as she lay on
the soft grass. It was another beautiful day at Jefferson Park.
He had brought her here for their first date, and he'd stood
just where he was, watching as she set down her bags and
kicked off her shoes. She had reclined back, shaded her
eyes, and looked up at the clouds. Her voice was shakier
now, her hair grayer, but she was still his Sandra.
adapted from http://teenwriting.about.com

What happens in this story's flashback?

A. George brings Sandra to the park for their first date.

B. George admires Sandra's shaky voice and graying hair.
C. George and Sandra, a married couple, relax in the park.
D. George reclines on the grass and looks up at the clouds.
Example 2:
Jim Chandler was sitting at home watching the evening news
when his son Preston asked him a question.
"Dad," Preston began. "This is a school assignment Mrs. Jones
gave us. What were you doing when John F. Kennedy was
assassinated?”
Jim shifted nervously in his seat. The Political Science 1301
exam was too difficult! Surely, something could interrupt this test and
put an end to it. Jim hadn't studied.
All of a sudden, Professor Hinckle from the Philosophy
Department opened the door, disturbing the students taking the exam.
"Everyone," he began in a calm voice. "President Kennedy has been
shot. The university has said that all exams and classes are canceled."
What is the literary device used in the story?
A. Plot
B. Flashback
C. Flash-forward
D. Alliteration
Ex. 3 : It was a dark and cold winter morning. Jim and his brother Carl
waited impatiently for the school bus. Carl chewed on a peanut butter and jelly
sandwich.
"I hate going to school," Jim said. "You never know what might go wrong
during the day. We might have a pop quiz or be attacked by the school bully."
Carl finished the last sandwich bite and moved on to a thermos filled
with chocolate milk. "It's a lot more fun in my class."
"Sure," Jim said. "It's because you're in kindergarten. Everything's fun
in kindergarten."
The bus arrived. Both boys walked into it and separated to find their
friends. As Jim sat down next to his best friend Mike, he noticed something.
"Hey, my lunchbox feels really light."

Which sentence from the passage is an example of foreshadowing?

A. " 'Hey, my lunchbox feels really light.' "

B. "Both boys walked into it and separated to find their friends."
C. " 'You never know what might go wrong during the day.' "
D. " 'It's because you're in kindergarten.' "
Example 4
I took one look outside my bedroom window and saw the drab,
gray, dreary sky. I pulled the coverlet up over my face, trying to hide
from the morning. I knew that I could no longer put off the dreaded
task. Today, everyone would have to know my hideous secret.
The passage is an example of

A. metaphor.
B. flashback.
C. foreshadowing.
D. euphemism.
1. A
2. B
3. C
4. C