Genre
Nonfiction
Setting and Context
The book is written in the context of evolutionary theory.
Narrator and Point of View
Third-person narrative
Tone and Mood
Informative, optimistic, hopeful
Protagonist and Antagonist
The narrator is the protagonist
Major Conflict
The main conflict is parts two and three, where the author says that females' choosiness has made them inferior to competitive males.
Climax
The climax is that human beings are a special form of animals with advanced behaviors.
Foreshadowing
Their choosiness traits prefigure the weakness of the female gender.
Understatement
The role of natural selection is inconspicuous. Besides enabling the competitive creatures to flourish, it also enhances the desired genetic inheritance.
Allusions
The story alludes to the origin of man.
Imagery
The evolutionary imagery is predominant in the book. Darwin explains how humans evolved from animals to be what they are today. According to Darwin, the white Europeans are the most civilized group of people.
Paradox
The main paradox is that the author describes females as inferior to men due to their choosiness. Ironically, the women have the power of choosing a competitive male with desired traits. Consequently, the point at which a woman becomes inferior to a man is entirely satirical.
Parallelism
The human evolution story parallels modern-day religious beliefs.
Metonymy and Synecdoche
N/A
Personification
Animals are personified as less advanced human beings.
