Of Plymouth Plantation Literary Elements

Historical, Realistic

The settings of the book are Holland, New world and Plymouth in the 16th and 17th century and the colonial history ranging from the arrival of Mayflower at cape code to the first thanksgiving has also been narrated in the book.

The novel has been narrated from first person’s point of view i.e. Bradford’s point of view. Bradford’s account of the history of Plymouth and the protestants have been given in the book.

Serious, anxious.

The protagonist in the book is William Bradford while the Anglican church has been portrayed as the antagonist.

The major conflict in the book is between the Anglican Church and the Puritans and between the native American sand the pilgrims.

The climax comes when the pilgrims left England and migrated to American in order to practice their religious views and to save themselves from the persecution of the Church of England.

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The understatement in the book is that one must strive to understand the drastic stakes of survival. Another understatement in this historical account is that one must strive to learn the true facts of history.

Allusions to Long fellow’s poem, Salem witch trials, Moses, Bible, nemesis, Anglican Church, American revolution and puritans have been employed in the book.

Images of religion, church, plants, pilgrimage, colonization, death, survival and harshness of winter have been presented by the author.

The paradox in the book is that the Puritans left England in order to save themselves from the atrocities of the Anglican Church but after reaching America, they themselves started persecuting others.

There is a parallelism between the journey of Moses to the Promised land and the expedition of Bradford to America.

An example of Metonymy is 'pilgrims', which includes all the Puritans who moved to America. An example of synecdoche is 'colony' which refers to colonization.

Pilgrimage and Plymouth have been personified.