Genre
A novel, autobiography
Setting and Context
The actions take place in the first part of the 19th century in America.
Narrator and Point of View
It is third-person narration
Tone and Mood
The tone and mood of the novel are predominantly sad, as the main character endure hardships of life, has to work really hard and make a living. Even until the end little changes as she is constantly alone, abandoned by family, and there is nobody to really love her just for the fact that she exists.
Protagonist and Antagonist
The protagonist is Frado, the antagonist is Mrs. Bellmont
Major Conflict
The main conflict is the one based on racis, as Mrs. Bellmont thinks that blacks exist only to serve the whites.
Climax
The climax comes when Fradon turns eighteen years old and leaves the house of the Bellmonts
Foreshadowing
When Mag leaves Frado and does not come back to take her, it foreshadows for little Frado rather vague future, and when the future is not clear it brings only sorrows and tears. In the Frado’s case it was just the way.
Understatement
N/A
Allusions
There are allusions to abolitionism and its movement in the United States.
Imagery
See the imagery section
Paradox
Even having many friends in the Bellmonts family, like Jack, James, Jenny, aunt Abby, Frado still was very often whipped and beaten, she was accomplishing much work and had little rest. Her friends could not protect her from the only person – Mrs. Bellmont.
Parallelism
N/A
Metonymy and Synecdoche
"Black, white and yeller," echoed a dozen voices. (dozen voices is a metonymy for children)
“Toward night the coach brought James” (the coach is a metonymy for its driver)
Personification
“Spring was now retiring”
“Month after month passed away”
