Elements of an Introduction:

Hook: (Imagery/Question)
A lighthouse beacon sweeps over the dark ocean waves. Suddenly, its rays illuminate a ship: a ghostly
image as she veers to and fro without any apparent direction. Is she a derelict, or is there a creepier
cause for her wayward path?
Context:
In scenes such as this one, the reader can sense that something is about to happen. The ghostly ship in
the dark ocean becomes a signal that horrible events are just around the corner. This technique of
dropping clues in a story is called foreshadowing.
Literary Definition of Technique:
Throughout literature and film, authors and directors use foreshadowing to create suspense and hint at
events that will occur later in the story.
Thesis Statement:
Examples of this device are seen in short stories like Three Skeleton Key by George G. Toudouze and
the Disney movie The Lion King.

Elements of an AXES Paragraph:
Assertion:
In Three Skeleton Key, the author uses foreshadowing early in the story to hint at the horrors that will
come in the storys climax.
Example:
The legend of Three Skeleton Key, which is the name for the rock on which the lighthouse stands, tells
the story of three men who became stranded there and died of hunger and thirst. The current
lighthouse keeper knows this story well but he does not give the warnings of the old timers a second
thought (50).
Explanation:
The narrators unwillingness to heed the warnings in the legend foreshadow the fact that he will
experience a similar horror later in the plot: trapped inside the lighthouse with no food, no water, and
with hordes of rats scrambling at the windows ready to pick his bones clean (54).
Significance:
This use of foreshadowing effectively creates suspense and intrigues the reader. The subtle clues give
just enough information to keep the reader believing that terrible events will fall upon the characters.