Genre
Short fiction
Setting and Context
The book is written in the context of religion.
Narrator and Point of View
Third-person narrative
Tone and Mood
Humorous, fascinating, intriguing
Protagonist and Antagonist
Ivan Ivan Matveich is the protagonist in the story 'Crocodile', and the protagonist in Bobok is Ivan Ivanovich.
Major Conflict
The main conflict is in the story 'The Grand Inquisition', in which Jesus learns that the Church has become outmoded because Satan concurs with it and believers have joined forces with him.
Climax
The climax is in the story 'The Heavenly Christmas Tree', in which a freezing street urchin who is almost freezing to death sees a miracle of his life. The boy is awakened by other children who usher him into Christmas tree celebrations. Besides inviting the boy into the celebration, the children hug him and make him feel appreciated.
Foreshadowing
In the story 'A Gentle Creature, the wife's death is foreshadowed by the pawnbroker's quarrels and disagreements.
Understatement
The hostility of reptiles in exhibitions is understated. For instance, people visiting such places should not go to the extreme of teasing crocodiles. The man who tries to tease a crocodile is swallowed alive.
Allusions
The story 'White Nights' alludes to true love in which a person who remains continues to love the departed partner.
Imagery
In the story 'The Crocodile, ' sight imagery is used by the author to show how the man teases the crocodile, which at last swallows him alive.
Paradox
The paradox is in 'The Crocodile', where a crocodile swallows a man. Paradoxically, the author says that the man works as a civil servant in the crocodile's stomach after being swallowed.
Parallelism
N/A
Metonymy and Synecdoche
The title 'The Heavenly Christmas Tree' is a metonymy for fortune and good luck.
Personification
N/A
