What's a foreshadowing event in the story?

The stealing of the narrator's coat is an example of foreshadowing as it gives us a preview of what to expect later in the story. The master of the house has had his coat stolen from his own front hallway. He's absolutely furious when he discusses what happened with his house guest Astafy Ivanovich, an old soldier.

The theft of the coat leads Astafy to reflect on a similar experience he'd had years before. The...

The stealing of the narrator's coat is an example of foreshadowing as it gives us a preview of what to expect later in the story. The master of the house has had his coat stolen from his own front hallway. He's absolutely furious when he discusses what happened with his house guest Astafy Ivanovich, an old soldier.

The theft of the coat leads Astafy to reflect on a similar experience he'd had years before. The experience is significant because it relates to the title. The old soldier says that "there are thieves and there are thieves," and that he knows of someone who was both honest and a thief. He then tells the story of how he once took in an old drunkard who stole his trousers. Astafy let the matter rest, but the thief was eaten up by so much guilt that it––along with copious amounts of alcohol––contributed to his death. Just before he passed away, the thief told Astafy that he wanted to be buried naked, and asked the old man to sell his one earthly possession: an old coat.