Genre
A social novel, psychological novel.
Setting and Context
The events in the story take place in some rural place in Mississippi during the late 30s to early 1950s.
Narrator and Point of View
First-person narration
Tone and Mood
In story prevails sorrow tone, with some optimistic episodes.
Protagonist and Antagonist
The protagonist of the story is David, and the society around him represents the antagonist who is alien to David’s feelings.
Major Conflict
The major conflict stands in contradiction between two personalities inside David’s head – the one is a little scared child, and the other one is a young boy who wants to start a new life.
Climax
The climax happens when David kills the preacher who comes to take his mother to the madhouse. David doesn’t realize his actions and his madness occupies him.
Foreshadowing
N/A
Understatement
In the story, the role of friendship as an essential part of human life is understated.
Allusions
There is an influence of Tennessee William’s drama A Streetcar Named Desire.
Imagery
See imagery section
Paradox
N/A
Parallelism
The story has parallels with social stereotypes, prejudices, influence of war on people’s fate.
Metonymy and Synecdoche
The author uses metonymy and synecdoche to reinforce the characteristic of the utterance: “the room of was pretty filled”.
Personification
The author uses personification to underline the importance of the saying: “vomit climb up into my throat”.
