Genre
Fiction
Setting and Context
Set in January 2010 in Port-au-Prince during the earthquake.
Narrator and Point of View
First-person narrative in Shorty’s point of view
Tone and Mood
The tone is benevolent, and the mood is gloomy.
Protagonist and Antagonist
The central character is Shorty, and the antagonist is the Site.
Major Conflict
There is a main conflict between the gang and Shorty. The gang kills Shorty’s father and kidnaps his sister.
Climax
The climax comes when Shorty joins in crime to avenge his father's death and his sister's kidnapping.
Foreshadowing
Toussaint’s uprising foreshadowed Haiti’s independence.
Understatement
The author understates Shorty's pain in the hospital rubble when he says he gladly reconnects with the spirit of Toussaint.
Allusions
N/A
Imagery
The description of the Site slum paints a picture of poverty and hopelessness. Shorty describes how slum dwellers are subjected to violence and hunger. The description helps readers to create an imaginary picture of the suffering of the Haitian people.
Paradox
The main paradox is that modern Haiti is similar to ancient Haiti under the French colony. The post-independence, Haiti is characterized by corruption and violence similar to neocolonialism.
Parallelism
There is a parallelism between Toussaint’s undying spirit and Shorty’s decision to fight for his life under the rubble after the earthquake.
Metonymy and Synecdoche
N/A
Personification
The earthquake is personified as inhumane.
