Throughout the centuries, people have often wished they could somehow know what would happen in the future before it actually happened. Sometimes, however, certain consequences are hinted at ahead of time, giving you a chance to take care of it before it is too late. In his book 1984, George Orwell uses foreshadowing through Winston's dreams and memories to predict what will happen in later events, which then explain what took place before.
(S) One memory that was foreshadowed was the last time Winston ever saw his mother and sister. (E) It is a memory that he purposely forgot as a child because he thought it was because of him that they were killed. (X) It is first foreshadowed when Winston writes in his diary about going to the flicks and seeing a movie where a woman covers a young boy while a helicopter drops a bomb on them and they are killed.
English: Grave of Eric Arthur Blair (George Orwell...
English: River Orwell Shore Looking towards Felixs...
London - Portobello Road, George Orwell House(X) Then, Winston has a dream and sees his mother and sister in the saloon of a sinking ship, looking up at him from the water as they head towards their death. (X) Later, Julia gives Winston a piece of real chocolate, and when he smells it, he remembers something "powerful and troubling," which he would like to undo but cannot (Orwell 121). (I) After all these events take place, Winston remembers one day a long time ago, when a chocolate ration was issued, but rather than sharing the chocolate with his mother and sister, Winston took it all. When he took it his sister started to cry and his mother covered her in the same way the woman covered the boy at the flicks. Before someone reads about this memory, the other three events seem somewhat meaningless and are not fully understood until it is read...