Genre
Short stories
Setting and Context
Mariposa in the early 20th century
Narrator and Point of View
An unnamed, biased third-person omniscient narrator tells the stories.
Tone and Mood
The tone is uplifting; the mood is humorous.
Protagonist and Antagonist
Josh is the protagonist; Caleb is the antagonist.
Major Conflict
The major conflict of the stories occurs when the narrator begins to exaggerate how significant the events unfolding in Mariposa are on the scale of the rest of the world.
Climax
The climax of the stories is reached when the rescue of the steamboat had to be carried out as it sinks in Lake Wissanotti.
Foreshadowing
The confusing election process is foreshadowed by the lack of rules the previous mayor created.
Understatement
The role that communities play in rural towns is understated throughout the novel.
Allusions
The story alludes to what small-town country Candian life entails.
Imagery
The imagery of beautiful, winding country roads is present in the novel.
Paradox
The fact that the lifeboat has holes in it, so sinks is an example of paradox in the story.
Parallelism
N/A
Metonymy and Synecdoche
The ballot box is a metonym for the equality that all of the community feel they have.
Personification
N/A
