ShmoopTube

00:09

We know, we know... this passage haunts your nightmares. But feel free to pause and review it yet again if you'd like...

00:20

In the third paragraph, how does the author foreshadow a coming tone shift?  

00:26

I. The author juxtaposes the speaker's excitement with the curious absence of struldbrugs from court. 

00:32

II. The author shows extreme enthusiasm on the part of the speaker but noticeably excludes any reaction from others involved in the conversation. 

00:41

III. The speaker admits in hindsight that his reaction was "perhaps a little too extravagant."

00:46

And here are the potential answers...

00:52

Foreshadowing. If we recall, that's the deal where one thing happens or is mentioned, and

00:58

it gives us a clue about something else that's coming down the pike...

01:01

...it's like a movie trailer that gives away far too much of the plot. In other words...

01:06

every movie trailer. Okay, so now we're given three possibilities.

01:10

Could be just one of 'em; could be a couple.

01:12

Any time we get the roman numeral set-up here, we have to remember not to fill in any bubbles

01:16

until we've checked 'em all out...

01:19

We always have to try I, then II , then... III

01:24

The first one suggests that "The author juxtaposes the speaker's excitement with the curious

01:28

absence of struldbrugs from court."

01:30

Well, sure. We go straight from the author's enthusiasm about struldbrugs... to his mention

01:35

that they are notably absent from court.

01:38

Hey, maybe they had a good excuse to get out of jury duty.

01:41

Oh, okay, wrong court. So if One is true, then we can eliminate choice D.

01:45

Roman numeral Two says that "The author shows extreme enthusiasm on the part of the speaker

01:53

but noticeably excludes any reaction from others involved in the conversation."

01:57

Enthusiasm? Check.

01:59

Lack of reaction from anyone else? Check.

02:02

Why nothing from the peanut gallery? Hm... mystery, intrigue...

02:06

We're on board with Number Two. So with One and Two both true, our answer

02:11

must be either B or E...

02:13

Let's take a look at Number Three: "The speaker admits in hindsight that his reaction was

02:17

"perhaps a little too extravagant."

02:19

We've got a direct quote here, so should be pretty easy to fact-check.

02:23

Do we see this phrase somewhere in the passage? Sure do -- line 22. And because he is admitting

02:30

he was over-the-top... it could certainly be foreshadowing that he was wrong about something.

02:33

So all three options work... and our answer is E.

02:36

Man... the things some people will do to get out of court...

Full Transcript