Cruel Optimism Literary Elements

Cruel Optimism Literary Elements

Genre

Investigative poll book

Setting and Context

The book is sent in the context of optimism.

Narrator and Point of View

Third-person narrative

Tone and Mood

Pessimistic, informative, insightful

Protagonist and Antagonist

Lauren Berlant is the protagonist of the book.

Major Conflict

The main conflict is that cruel optimism is pervasive and dangerous because it harms people.

Climax

The climax comes when one wrestles with fate to comprehend desire. Consequently, optimism ceases to be cruel when he understands his desires and pursues them with a positive mind.

Foreshadowing

Cruel optimism is foreshadowed by failure to understand one’s desires.

Understatement

Optimism is understated when the author says it is cruel. With proper mind and positive thinking, optimism turns out to be meaningful.

Allusions

The story alludes to positive thinking and its impact on human beings.

Imagery

The imagery of desire and attachment is evident in the book. For instance, the author explains that understanding one's needs and following those desires is a positive move in life. The imagery is critical in aiding the reader to understand that optimism is not a bad thing as long one is focused.

Paradox

The main paradox is that optimism can be cruel when desires are misunderstood.

Parallelism

N/A

Metonymy and Synecdoche

Optimism is a metonymy for comprehension of desire.

Personification

N/A

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