A scene in fiction enacting past events is __________

Step 1: Analyze the question The question asks for the term for a scene in fiction that re-enacts or shows events that happened in the past.

Step 2: Explain the concepts

• Allusion: A passing reference to a person, place, event, or another literary work (e.g., mentioning "Achilles' heel"). It does not enact a scene.
• Foreshadow: Hints or clues about events that will happen later in the story. It looks forward, not backward.
• Flashback: A scene that interrupts the present action to show events that happened earlier. It dramatizes the past.
• Interlude: A short break or intervening episode, such as a song, dance, or brief scene between major parts of a play. It is not tied to past events.

Step 3: Match the definition The key phrase is "enacting past events." That is exactly what a flashback does. A character's memory or an earlier episode is played out as a scene in the present narrative. For example, in a novel, the narrator may suddenly take us back to a character's childhood to explain why they behave a certain way.

Step 4: Eliminate the wrong options

• A is wrong because an allusion only refers to something, it does not enact a scene.
• B is wrong because foreshadowing points to the future.
• D is wrong because an interlude is a break, not a recreation of the past.

Answer: C. Flashback

Exam tip: Remember the direction of time:

• Flashback = flash back (past)
• Foreshadow = shadow cast ahead (future)