Foreshadowing is the use of clues about future events earlier in the text by the author. Pony recounts the difficulty that greasers get into with Socs as an example of foreshadowing. Pony and Johnny will have a lot of difficulty with the Socs throughout the novel. Johnny is jumped by the Socs and severely beaten. Later, when he tries to sneak out of town, the police catch him and take him to hospital where doctors treat his injuries. Foreshadowing can be used to increase tension or to explain character traits or relationships. For example, when Johnny sees how badly Pony gets beat up after he jumps him, this explains why he later runs away from home. The author uses this to show that even though Johnny is friends with Pony, they have different ways of getting out of trouble with the Socs. Another example is when the author writes about how hard it is for greasers and Socs to find friendship between each other. This is explained later in the book when it is revealed that Stacey Davis (a Soc) likes Pony. However, because she lives with her family, she cannot leave them to go hang out with Pony. Even though Stacey wants to be his friend, she cannot do anything about it because her family needs her around them. Foreshadowing can also be used to reveal secrets about the past.