Genre
Non-fiction, true crime
Setting and Context
The book is set during the 1920s and 2010s in Osage County, Oklahoma
Narrator and Point of View
The book is told primarily from a third-person point of view, however, in its final section, Grann switches to the first person when writing about his experience researching the book. Grann is the narrator of the book.
Tone and Mood
The tone of the book is solemn and dramatic. The mood is ominous and somber.
Protagonist and Antagonist
The protagonist of the book is Mollie Burkhart. The antagonist is William Hale.
Major Conflict
The major conflict of the book is the violence perpetrated against members of the Osage tribe.
Climax
The climax of the book occurs when William Hale is brought to trial for his crimes.
Foreshadowing
William Hale being the mastermind behind the conspiracy to kill members of the Osage tribe is foreshadowed when Grann describes him as a man who seems to have no past.
Understatement
N/A
Allusions
Grann makes numerous references to U.S. history. He also alludes to the William Faulkner novel Absalom, Absalom!, the Shakespeare play Julius Caesar, and the Book of Job from the Bible.
Imagery
N/A
Paradox
N/A
Parallelism
N/A
Metonymy and Synecdoche
N/A
Personification
N/A
