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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 5
Explanation and Analysis—Moon-Watcher's Replica:
In Chapter 5 of 2001: A Space Odyssey, the narrator directly foreshadows the end of the novel with a summation of the Moon-Watcher's new discoveries:
For a few seconds Moon-Watcher stood uncertainly above his new victim, trying to grasp the strange and wonderful fact that the dead leopard could kill again. Now he was the master of the world, and he was not quite sure what to do next. But he would think of something.
Moon-Watcher, a prehistoric man-ape, has just killed both a leopard and a competing tribe member. His discovery that his newfound tools can kill is an enormous jump forward for his developing consciousness. He feels as if he is the "master of the world," able to conquer Earth's natural elements and its living species through developments in technology. This moment's language foreshadows David Bowman's experience at the very end of the novel, when he is reborn as the Star-Child:
Then he waited, marshaling his thoughts and brooding over his still untested powers. For though he was master of the world, he was not quite sure what to do next. But he would think of something.
By the end of the novel, the Star-Child has saved humanity from imminent nuclear threat and begun a new cycle of existence for Earth and its inhabitants. This moment of rebirth and re-harnessed power directly mirrors that of the Moon-Watcher—making the two characters foils for one another. Both the Moon-Watcher and Star-Child are unable to grasp the full capacity of their power, and it is unclear to readers whether either figure will utilize their developing intelligence for good or evil. This literary foreshadowing and its accompanying parallels symbolize the cyclical nature of human development, even amidst great advances in technology. The Moon-Watcher and the Star-Child may exist in two different time periods, but at a fundamental level, they are identical: two figures new to the world, unsure of how their intelligence will manifest on Earth. Readers may hope that the Star-Child will choose a different path than the Moon-Watcher—especially given the modern advent of nuclear technology—but both figures view Earth like a playground on which to test their curiosities. Thus, the novel's ending remains ambiguous, even though its language directly reflects that which came before.
Related Themes:
Chapter 47
Explanation and Analysis—Moon-Watcher's Replica:
In Chapter 5 of 2001: A Space Odyssey, the narrator directly foreshadows the end of the novel with a summation of the Moon-Watcher's new discoveries:
For a few seconds Moon-Watcher stood uncertainly above his new victim, trying to grasp the strange and wonderful fact that the dead leopard could kill again. Now he was the master of the world, and he was not quite sure what to do next. But he would think of something.
Moon-Watcher, a prehistoric man-ape, has just killed both a leopard and a competing tribe member. His discovery that his newfound tools can kill is an enormous jump forward for his developing consciousness. He feels as if he is the "master of the world," able to conquer Earth's natural elements and its living species through developments in technology. This moment's language foreshadows David Bowman's experience at the very end of the novel, when he is reborn as the Star-Child:
Then he waited, marshaling his thoughts and brooding over his still untested powers. For though he was master of the world, he was not quite sure what to do next. But he would think of something.
By the end of the novel, the Star-Child has saved humanity from imminent nuclear threat and begun a new cycle of existence for Earth and its inhabitants. This moment of rebirth and re-harnessed power directly mirrors that of the Moon-Watcher—making the two characters foils for one another. Both the Moon-Watcher and Star-Child are unable to grasp the full capacity of their power, and it is unclear to readers whether either figure will utilize their developing intelligence for good or evil. This literary foreshadowing and its accompanying parallels symbolize the cyclical nature of human development, even amidst great advances in technology. The Moon-Watcher and the Star-Child may exist in two different time periods, but at a fundamental level, they are identical: two figures new to the world, unsure of how their intelligence will manifest on Earth. Readers may hope that the Star-Child will choose a different path than the Moon-Watcher—especially given the modern advent of nuclear technology—but both figures view Earth like a playground on which to test their curiosities. Thus, the novel's ending remains ambiguous, even though its language directly reflects that which came before.
Related Themes:
