Genre
Historical crime
Setting and Context
Sri Lanka, in the 1980s
Narrator and Point of View
A third-person unnamed, omniscient narrator
Tone and Mood
The tone is of mystery and deceit, the mood moves from suspicion to hope and then to despair.
Protagonist and Antagonist
Anil is the protagonist, the Sri Lankan government is the antagonist
Major Conflict
There is major conflict happens in the Sri Lankan war as its aftermath leads Anil on her journey to uncover the truth and potentially expose the government.
Climax
The climax of the novel is when Anil is searched and her researched is seized, as she now has nothing to support her accusations against the Sri Lankan government.
Foreshadowing
The eyes of the statue of Buddha being shaped by Anada is foreshadowed through the sculpting of the face of the reconstructed skeleton at the start of the novel.
Understatement
N/A
Allusions
The novel alludes to the questionable human right protection that the Sri Lankan government provides, and instead, the clinical precision needed to uncover its violations.
Imagery
The imagery of Sailor's skeleton is present in the story, as well as the risks and harm that it brings to Anil's life.
Paradox
There is a paradox in Anil's attempt to help others, and the attempted suicide of Ananda as it is the complete opposite to what she intended.
Parallelism
There is a parallel between the clarity in the Buddha's eyes and the clarity that Anil possesses to unearth the truth.
Metonymy and Synecdoche
N/A
Personification
The voice of Sailor is personified through the hidden skeleton, as both are lost and are in need of being found.
