What prior reference in Chapter 2 foreshadows the presence of this man?

What prior reference in Chapter 2 foreshadows the presence of this man?

• A. A rumor about a new arrival in town.
• B. The crowd's gossip about a mysterious figure.
• C. The flashback of Hester looking in the mirror and seeing a man with a scholar-like face.
• D. A sermon about temptation.

Answer: (C)

Foreshadowing often works by dropping a vivid, specific image that points ahead to someone who will enter the story. In Chapter 2, Hester’s memory of a man with a scholar-like face, seen as she looks into a mirror, is such a hint. That image signals a future presence who is learned and calculating—Roger Chillingworth, who is her husband and who will later become central as the physician and schemer in the narrative. The detail is more than just a vague remark; it directly links a recognizable, future role to a real person the reader will meet, which is why it best foreshadows his arrival. The other options are too general or thematically focused and don’t point to a specific character who will appear.

Foreshadowing often works by dropping a vivid, specific image that points ahead to someone who will enter the story. In Chapter 2, Hester’s memory of a man with a scholar-like face, seen as she looks into a mirror, is such a hint. That image signals a future presence who is learned and calculating—Roger Chillingworth, who is her husband and who will later become central as the physician and schemer in the narrative. The detail is more than just a vague remark; it directly links a recognizable, future role to a real person the reader will meet, which is why it best foreshadows his arrival. The other options are too general or thematically focused and don’t point to a specific character who will appear.