The Landlady

Study Guide

Literary Devices

Foreshadowing

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Literary Devices Foreshadowing

By foreshadowing early and often that there is trouble ahead for Billy Weaver, Roald Dahl builds suspense throughout the story. Right from the start, the fact that things will not be as nice as they seem for Billy is foreshadowed by contrasts in the setting. It is a beautiful night in Bath, but the chill in the air is described as “deadly cold” and the wind is compared to a knife’s blade. The street Billy walks down is peaceful, and Billy observes that the houses must have once been swanky but have fallen into some disrepair. These contrasts indicate that the things Billy will encounter in Bath may look nice but are in fact sinister. This implication is borne out later in the story when it dawns on Billy that the landlady, seemingly sweet, may in fact be dangerous.

As the plot advances, the foreshadowing comes thick and fast. When Billy turns to leave the door of the bed and breakfast, he is inexplicably compelled to turn back and ring the doorbell instead. This almost supernatural pull foreshadows Billy’s one-directional progression toward ever-increasing danger and away from safety. The foreshadowing becomes much more explicit and obvious once Billy begins to interact with the landlady. Her admission that she rarely accepts boarders but decides to accept Billy because he is “just exactly right” is extremely ominous. Just exactly right for what? When the landlady’s obsession with young men becomes apparent, this further foreshadows Billy’s demise, and the suspense grows. Billy’s unawareness of the danger creates a sense of dramatic irony that enhances the suspense throughout the rising action. Indeed, Billy seems almost completely unaware of his own peril until the very end of the story with the revelation that the pets in the living room are dead and stuffed. In this final bit of foreshadowing, the hints become a blaring siren foretelling the specific way Billy Weaver will meet his gruesome end.