Genre
Novel
Setting and Context
The novel is set in the early 19th century
Narrator and Point of View
Third-person narrative
Tone and Mood
The tone is sad and the mood is hopeful
Protagonist and Antagonist
Mattia Pascal is the protagonist of the story.
Major Conflict
The main conflict is when Mattia’s wife leaves him for another man. When he remarries, his two daughters die a mysterious few days after the death of his mother.
Climax
The climax is when Pascal comes home after many years of people knowing that he is long dead. However, he is rejected and becomes an outcast in the world.
Foreshadowing
Pascal’s maturity to adulthood foreshadowed his troubled future.
Understatement
Marriage is a holy institution that is understated. When Pascal's wife leaves him for another man, he also remarries, and life continues.
Allusions
The story alludes to life’s misfortunes that can render someone useless in society.
Imagery
The imagery of death is evident in the book, and it paints a picture of Pascal's misery. For instance, Pascal's daughters die after the death of his mother.
Paradox
The paradox of marriage is rampant in the story. Pascal's remarries immediately after his wife leaves. Ironically, he does not even bother to mourn losing his wife to another man.
Parallelism
The misery of death parallels Pascal’s unfortunate circumstances in life.
Metonymy and Synecdoche
N/A
Personification
Death is embodied as an individual that subjects misery towards Pascal.
