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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 4: The Fourth Night
Explanation and Analysis—The Fugitive's Life:
One of Balram’s risky exploits—and a moment of foreshadowing—takes place in Chapter 4. While Ashok and Pinky Madam go shopping, he slips into a plain T-shirt and makes a beeline for the upscale mall:
I was sure the guard in front of the door would challenge me and say, No, you’re not allowed in, even with a pair of black shoes and a T-shirt that is mostly white with just one English word on it. I was sure, until the last moment, that I would be caught, and called back, and slapped and humiliated there.
Even as I was walking inside the mall, I was sure someone would say, Hey! That man is a paid driver! What’s he doing in here? There were guards in gray uniforms on every floor—all of them seemed to be watching me. It was my first taste of the fugitive’s life.
The attempt is equally reckless as it is ingenious. Balram risks mockery from other taxi drivers—not to mention a potential capture by the guards and humiliation before his masters—in his effort to enter the mall. At best, his visit to the mall could show him what lies behind the glass; at worst, it could cost him his career. It is an act of transgression that promises him a freedom he has never previously experienced. The mall episode previews in miniature Balram’s decision to kill his master.
Like entering the mall, Balram follows through with his plan for murder. And like his entrance into the “golden light,” he pulls it off to surprising success. Balram passes through the “cool, air-conditioned air” undetected as he slips into high Bangalore society. He masquerades as “Ashok Sharma” and gets away in spite of posters and police search efforts. His ability to enter the mall showcases his “entrepreneurial” wits and foretells his future initiation into upper-class society.
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