The Grapes of Wrath Chapter 18

Question

There are tweak important instances of foreshadowing right at the end of chapter 18: when Pa says that Tom now sounds like a preacher, and when the tuck rolls over a rattlesnake. What might these incidents foretell?

Answer 1

Hi Sofia...to assist with this question, I want to share with you the concept of foreshadowing. This was always my favorite part of reading and literary evaluation. To foreshadow means to give us an idea of what is coming. When one is foreshadowing in a book and you have not read subsequent chapters, it is often required for you to form what is known as a hypothesis (an educated guess). For example, in the question you gave ask yourself, "What does Tom sound like? What does the word that closes out that statement mean? Is it a person, an occupation, a place? That will help you figure out what they are saying and what could potentially be coming toward the end of the book. Let me know if you have any further questions I would be happy to assist.