Genre
Contemporary
Setting and Context
New York City in the present day
Narrator and Point of View
An unnamed, third-person omniscient narrator.
Tone and Mood
The tone is funny; the mood is shocking.
Protagonist and Antagonist
Elaine is the protagonist; New York is the antagonist.
Major Conflict
The major conflict of the novel occurs when Elaine marries Paul and they move in with each other, having two boys together.
Climax
The climax of the story is reached when the couple set their house on fire.
Foreshadowing
The torching of their house is foreshadowed by the fact that they were bored.
Understatement
The role of mental stability is understated throughout the novel.
Allusions
The story alludes to a dysfunctional family that lives in the suburbs of New York.
Imagery
The imagery of the burning house is present in the novel.
Paradox
The fact that as parents the central characters should be looking after their children, yet set their house on fire is an example of paradox in the story.
Parallelism
N/A
Metonymy and Synecdoche
The burning house is metonym for their desire to no longer be boring.
Personification
N/A
