Author's predictions, a glimpse into the future


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Posted by Ed Kiser on May 31, 2004 at 05:58:27 from 152.163.252.98 user Kisered.

While these references are not of the author speaking in the
First Person, he does show that he knows the future, and tells
with hints of what might be going to happen.

In Swallowdale, in Chapter 5, before they lost their ship to Pike
Rock, they were preparing to leave the island. John was a bit
impatient to get started as they had already seen the Amazons
charging down the far shore of the lake.

--------
He was in a hurry to sail, and had been waiting a long time, and
perhaps it was just that little bit of bad luck in the mate's
forgetting the salt and keeping back the ship for two minutes
more that made the captain not quite so careful as usual.
--------

So we have that hint that he is going to do something that is not
careful enough, a hint of a future action.

A page or so further on, and we are given yet another hint of
coming events:

--------
"Well, her canvas won't bust," said John, "and she's got a
jolly strong mast."

But he spoke too soon.
--------

The reader is now warned of some future event. And of course, we
see that very soon after this, the Swallow swerves onto Pike
Rock, and the plot takes a definitely different path at this
point. But we were expecting some sort of disaster.

We readers were already prepared for this to happen, in that
previously, in Chapter 4, we were informed as to the hazard this
rock can be to shipping, as the Amazons warn them:

--------
"That's the Pike Rock," said Nancy, pointing out the rock
opposite the southern of the two little headlands. "You wouldn't
be able to see it if the lake wasn't so low."

"We saw it when we were coming in," said John.

"It's awfully jagged," said Peggy. "Uncle Jim saw a fisherman
sink his boat by rowing into it."
--------

While this is not exactly a real prediction of things to come, it
does set the stage and give the reader the understanding of this
feature, and of its terrible capabilities. In a way, this too
could be considered to be, if not a prediction, at least a hint
of future events.

The author does show however that he is aware of what is going to
happen later, and is getting his reader prepared to accept the
event when it does happen. Otherwise, the reader would have had
a sudden surprise, with no warning, but suddenly hit with the
shock of the tragic accident.

However, doing it this way with these little hints, the reader is
able to have that moment of smug satisfaction of being able to
feel that "I had a feeling something like this was going to
happen." We feel so wise at being able to anticipate the
accident, and almost proud when it does happen, as "it just
proved my suspicions were right." These suspicions of course
were well planted in our minds by the author, who knew where he
was going with the plot, and got us all prepared.

Ed Kiser, South Florida



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