Genre
Legal Thriller
Setting and Context
It is set in 2005 in Manhattan and Rome.
Narrator and Point of View
It is narrated in the third person.
Tone and Mood
The tone is suspenseful. The mood is tense.
Protagonist and Antagonist
The protagonist is Mitch McDeere. The antagonist is the unknown individual who kidnapped Giovanna.
Major Conflict
The major conflict involves Mitch McDeere's efforts to resolve Giovanna's kidnapping and the complex legal case in which he becomes entangled. The danger arises from both the personal and professional challenges that Mitch faces as he navigates these intertwined conflicts.
Climax
The climax occurs when a noose is placed around Giovanna’s neck and she is about to be executed.
Foreshadowing
"If it’s Gaddafi, then who knows? He might use her as a bargaining chip to settle the lawsuit.”
The idea that Gaddafi might use Giovanna as a bargaining chip foreshadows the high-stakes diplomatic maneuvering in the narrative.
Understatement
"Please don’t tell me the guy is on death row."
In this sentence, Mitch's response to Willie's statement about the case involving an inmate is an understatement. The reality of a death row case is highly serious but Mitch's response is somewhat dismissive.
Allusions
The novel alludes to Muammar Gaddafi, the former leader of Libya. Mitch follows up on a case involving the deeds of the political leader.
Imagery
Grisham uses visual and sensory imagery to depict Mitch's exhausting journey from Rome to New York. The description of the airplane trip with references to the twelve-hour flight gives readers a sense of the physical discomfort.
Paradox
The paradox is that Mitch navigates between two worlds—one of privilege and the other of altruism. There is tension between his high-powered corporate law career and his commitment to serving the underprivileged.
Parallelism
The narrative presents the law firm Scully & Pershing as a massive international firm with offices around the world. This setting allows for parallel narratives as the story follows Mitch's legal work in New York and his involvement in the case in Rome.
Metonymy and Synecdoche
The phrase "deep web" is a form of metonymy representing obscure parts of the internet.
Personification
"Tanner says the wind is dying down..."
In this sentence, the wind is personified as if it has the ability to "die down."
