"The little boy was fascinated by the device and used it as a walkie-talkie in cops and robbers play with his small friends." (233)
The story "Once upon a Time" by Nadne Gordimer contains foreshadowing. I did not notice the foreshadowing the first time reading it, but I noticed it when I was rereading the story in class because I had already read them and could not blog from my desk. This foreshadowing of the horrific ending and fate of the little boy is foreshadowed pretty much every time the parents get a new security system. The quote above is one instance where readers are introduced to the curiousity and interest of the little boy that ultimately leads to his demise. The wise witch is the one who warned the family about the dangers of intruders, but it was her gift to the boy that caused him to pretend "to be the Prince who braves the terrible thicket of thorns." Their is also irony in the fact that the speaker is telling herself a bedtime story because she cannot sleep because an intruder-like noise woke her up. The speaker seems to be reassuring herself that even taking precautions against intruders cannot always save you. Being too paranoid and too extreme in protective measures can also be bad.
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