Genre
Fiction
Setting and Context
Harlem, New York
Narrator and Point of View
Precious is the narrator of the book and speaks about her own life.
Tone and Mood
The tone of the novel is upsetting and often dreary, due to the nature of Precious's life.
Protagonist and Antagonist
The protagonist is Precious and the antagonists are her parents.
Major Conflict
The major conflict in the novel is Precious's attempt to gain an education.
Climax
The climax of the novel is when Precious finds out she is HIV positive.
Foreshadowing
Precious's later success in writing is foreshadowed by her use of imagery and metaphor.
Understatement
The school understates Precious's situation and kick her out, denying her an education.
Allusions
The novel alludes to The Color Purple, by Alice Walker
Imagery
Precious uses imagery to describe how writing has helped her, describing it as being a "boat."
Paradox
Precious's parents have a duty of care towards their child; however, she is let down time and time again.
Parallelism
Precious's experiences and story is paralleled with the other girls in her writing class.
Metonymy and Synecdoche
N/A
Personification
N/A
