Genre
Immigrant literature
Setting and Context
The novel is set in London in the 1950s.
Narrator and Point of View
The novel is told from a third-person point of view. The narrator's voice is heavily inflected with a West Indian dialect.
Tone and Mood
The tone of the novel is humorous and wise. The mood of the novel is tragicomic and freewheeling.
Protagonist and Antagonist
Moses is the protagonist. There is no individual antagonist, but the prejudice of white Londoners and the social difficulties faced by the West Indian community more generally could be considered a collective antagonist.
Major Conflict
The novel's major conflict is the struggle of the characters to adjust to life in London in the face of financial difficulties and racism.
Climax
The climax of the novel is the party organized by Harris that goes awry.
Foreshadowing
N/A
Understatement
N/A
Allusions
The novel alludes to various parts of London, including Hyde Park and Piccadilly Circus. It also makes references to the main British political parties, Labour and Tories. There is also a reference to the Polish classical composer Frédéric Chopin and to the Legend of King Arthur.
Imagery
N/A
Paradox
N/A
Parallelism
N/A
Metonymy and Synecdoche
N/A
Personification
N/A
