Flashback 

Definition:

• a form of anachrony, commonly referred to also as retrospective (Baldick)

• it enables a storyteller to fill in background information about characters and events (Baldick)

• takes place before the story begins that interrupts the chronological order of the story 

Types of flashbacks:

• dream sequences - when character sleeps and dreams of the past events

• straight breaks - when it is obvious to the reader though the narration or formatting of the text that there is a break in the story

• memory flashbacks - when character interrupts the narration to tell of the past 

• foreshadowing flashback - it serves a specific purpose of leaving hints for what is to come in the story 

• there is usually a reason for the flashbacks to come, such as seeing someone or something, smelling or tasting something, or hearing something from the past and it triggers emotion and memories

(study.com)

Examples:

In Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, J.K. Rowling uses a memory-sharing device called the Pensieve to help Professor Dumbledore prepare Harry for his confrontation with Voldemort. By revisiting key moments from Voldemort's past, Dumbledore gives Harry valuable insights into his enemy's motivations and strategies. 

The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald: “In my younger and more vulnerable years my father gave me some advice that I’ve been turning over in my head ever since.” This is how the novel The Great Gatsby begins. He uses a flashback in the first scene of the first chapter to kick off his story. 

Sources: 

Baldick, Chris. The Oxford Dictionary of Literary Terms. Oxford University Press, 2015.

“What Is a Flashback? Definition and Examples of Flashbacks - 2024 - MasterClass.” MasterClass, 2020, www.masterclass.com/articles/what-is-a-flashback.

Study.com, 2022, study.com/academy/lesson/what-is-a-flashback-in-literature-definition-examples.html.

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Author of the page: Gabriela Pavelková