Examples Of Foreshadowing In The Rattler

In the short story The Rattler, the author questions the justifiability of taking any life. Understanding the reason for a killing can allow one to sympathize with a killer, finding his cause sufficient, or alternatively empathize with the victim. In The Rattler, the author presents two opposing sides, one vindicating the man’s killing of the snake, and the other finding it wrong that the snake was killed. The author’s use of language and details causes the reader to empathize with the man for the killing, feel sympathy for the human-like snake, and experience both sympathy and empathy through the description of setting.

The imagery used to describe the setting creates both sympathy for the man and empathy for the snake. The man kills the …show more content…
The man’s “first instinct” after seeing the snake “was to let him go his way”, avoiding confrontation. This shows that the man initially did not want to do anything to the snake. However, the man’s intentions were changed when he realized “there were children, dogs, horses at the ranch” who could be harmed if he didn’t kill the snake. Furthermore, “men and women” were also in danger. The man felt as if it was his “duty” to protect, for the sake of those he cared about. The author uses this to show the man’s “duty… was to kill the snake.” Killing the snake in the eyes of the man seemed like the only way to protect the men and women of the ranch, justifying his actions. Additionally, the man presents that he does not kill without reason; he has “never killed an animal I [he] was not obliged to kill.” The speaker uses the word “obliged” to show how he feels about killing the snake; he was hesitant, but it had to be done because the snake posed a threat . The author’s language and details allows the reader to see through the eyes of the man, showing his justification for the killing of the snake and leading readers to feel empathy for the