Throughout Monkey Beach, author Eden Robinson effectively alternates passages transitioning between the present and flashbacks of Lisamarie's life. It is through these flashbacks that Robinson is able to offer the reader an in-depth insight into Lisamarie's childhood and upbringing. By placing these flashbacks between passages of present time, the reader is able to connect the past to the present and understand how Lisamarie's past relationships and life experiences have shaped her thinking, personality, and state of mind in the present time. Through these flashback techniques used by Robinson, it is also very evident how time plays an important role in the formation of characters, especially Lisa's. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an original essay Using flashbacks, Robinson foreshadows important parts of what happens to Lisamarie in the present time frame. In the second part of the book, one of the flashbacks sees Lisa and Ma-ma-oo talking intensely about the little man Lisa sees in her dreams. This is very significant because at this moment, Ma-ma-oo recognizes that Lisa has the “gift”. “Ah, you have the gift then. Just like your mother” (153), she says softly to Lisa when asked about the little man she sees in her dreams. Discussing the subject further, Ma-ma-oo assures Lisa that these visions are real. Using flashbacks like these helps the reader understand much more about Lisamarie and her mind. At the beginning of the novel, in the present time, we see Lisa dreaming of seeing Jimmy at Monkey Beach. She thinks, "I wish the dead would come out and say what they think if they're so passive and aggressive about all this" (17). At this point in the novel, we don't know exactly what she's talking about. Through the flashback of Lisa's conversation with Ma-ma-oo, the reader gets confirmation of their suspicions about Lisa's gift and powers. It is also through this difference in time lag between the flashback and present time that the reader understands the depth of character construction and formation that has occurred. It is now clear that Lisamarie, fully aware of the powers she possesses, uses them to speak to the spirits and bring her closer to Jimmy. Another example where Robinson explores a flashback in Lisamarie's life up to her teenage years that gives us more insight into her troubling state of mind. After a night of drugs in East Vancouver, Lisamarie woke up to find an angry and disappointed looking Tab who continues to try to knock some sense into Lisa's head and push her to take control of his life. At one point during this exchange, Lisa wonders if this is all just a hallucination. “… throwing him the package. It went through his body. Surprised, I saw it hit the ground and bounce back” (301). The reader is unsure if this exchange is real or just another dream. Such an episode is also very similar to the time when Lisamarie saw Jimmy standing on Monkey Beach and she wonders about its meaning. She says to herself, “I used to think that if I could talk to the spirit world, I would get answers” ​​(17). These flashbacks act as foreshadowing because they almost foreshadow what is going to happen in Lisa's life. Moving to the present, near the end of the novel, Lisa has another encounter with Ma-ma-oo where she warns Lisa that “[she] [has] gone too far in this world. Return” (372). It is a very ambiguous moment because it flirts between reality and visions. The current time frame helps us better understand that the encounter with Tab in the flashback could have been of one kind.