Flashback

Flashback (retrospection) is a compositional device consisting in the narration's turn to events of the past that preceded the depicted present, in a violation of the direct chronological sequence of exposition for the sake of a deeper revelation of the causes, the origins of characters, or the hidden meaning of events. Retrospection allows one to combine different temporal planes, to show a prehistory, to explain the motives of a hero's actions, and to create psychological multidimensionality. This device is widely used by psychological and modern prose, in particular works built on recollections, dreams, and interior monologue. For example, a retrospective composition marks Oleksandr Dovzhenko's autobiographical film-tale The Enchanted Desna, where the narrator returns to the world of childhood, interweaving the recollection and the reflection of a mature person. Retrospection is an important means of deepening psychologism, revealing the hero's inner world, and complicating the plot-temporal organization of a work.