Theme Of Foreshadowing In Their Eyes Were Watching God

It was once said, “The art of the storyteller is to hold the attention of the readers.” If a novelist is able to grab the attention of the readers, they can easily convey ideas and themes represented in the story successfully to its’ readers. For instance, Zora Neale Hurston is considered to be a brilliant writer, who has the ability to form a storytelling chain within her novels and to “render a world complete with its codes and disciplines within a few sentences” (Danticat). This is shown in her novel, Their Eyes Were Watching God. Hurston uses various literary elements such as foreshadowing, point of view, imagery, and metaphor in order to capture the attention of the readers. One way Hurston holds the attention of the readers is through the use of foreshadowing. The use of foreshadow is …show more content…
– What dat ole forty year ole ‘oman doin’ wid her hair swingin’ down back lak some young gal? – Where she left dat young lad of a boy she went off here wid?” (Hurston 2). Here, the gossiping townspeople offer foreshadowing as Janie Crawford, the main character, arrives back to Eatonville. The gossiping townspeople made comments regarding Janie and events that occurred. Furthermore, it foreshadows the start of Janie’s independence, and her relationship with someone who is younger than her. Also, provides the readers with hints regarding what she has already experienced before getting into the story. The use of foreshadow early in the story enables the readers to explore more regarding Janie and her story, which grips the readers’ attention. In addition, another example of foreshadow in the story is evident in the funeral of the town mule: “As soon as the crowd was out of sight they closed in circles. The near ones got nearer and the far ones got near. A circle, a swoop and a hop with spread out wings” (Hurston 61). Here, after the mule’s funeral, a group of vultures gathered around