Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH Literary Elements

Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH Literary Elements

Genre

Fiction

Setting and Context

The book is set in a small house where Mrs. Frisby lives after the death of her husband.

Narrator and Point of View

Third-person narrative

Tone and Mood

Worrying, disheartening, horrifying and pessimistic

Protagonist and Antagonist

Mrs. Frisby is the protagonist of the story.

Major Conflict

The major conflict is that Timothy, Mrs. Frisby’s child is sick and is about to die. She goes to ask for help from Mr. Ages.

Climax

The climax comes when Mrs. Frisby tells her children the entire truth of her life and that of the late father.

Foreshadowing

Mr. Ages foreshadows the well-being and recovery of Timothy.

Understatement

Mrs. Frisby’s determination to guard her family is understated. Despite trying her best to ensure that Timothy is well, she also does everything possible to protect her house from destruction

Allusions

The story alludes to motherly love and the sacrifices she makes for the sake of their families.

Imagery

The images of the owl's home and description depict sight imagery to readers. In the instance, the owl says, "I have lived in this tree, in this same hollow…for more years than anyone can remember. But now, when the wind blows hard in winter and rocks the forest, I sit here in the dark, and from deep down in the bole, down near the roots, I hear a new sound.”

Paradox

The main paradox is that Mrs. Frisby is a widow who protects her family than most men.

Parallelism

The mice's lives parallel the everyday life of a human being.

Metonymy and Synecdoche

The term 'scavengers' is a metonymy that refers to rats' nature and behaviour after they became lazy and soft.

Personification

Mice are personified to behave exactly like human beings.

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