Genre
Fiction
Setting and Context
The action takes place inside the home of the main character. The actions described in the novel are presented as originating from another manuscript.
Narrator and Point of View
The action is told from the perspective of a first-person subjective point of view.
Tone and Mood
The tone and mode is a neutral one and at times a tragic one.
Protagonist and Antagonist
The antagonist is Wanda and the protagonist is Severin.
Major Conflict
The major conflict is presented as being an internal one and as being the result of Severin's desire to be controlled by a woman and his fear of being shamed.
Climax
The novel reaches its climax when Severin decides to return home.
Foreshadowing
At the beginning of the novel presents the narrator feels ashamed of wanting to be controlled by a woman. These feelings of shame foreshadow the later instances in which Severin will experience something similar.
Understatement
When Wanda claims she does not want to control Severin is an understatement as she later finds a lot of pleasure in doing so.
Allusions
One of the main allusions which can be found in the novel is the idea that it is not natural for a woman to want to subdue a man and that she was not made to do it. Because of this, if a man lets himself be controlled by a woman, then he will suffer in the long run.
Imagery
N/A
Paradox
A paradoxical idea is a way in which Wanda learns to love to humiliate and to control another person even if in the beginning she is described as being the submissive type.
Parallelism
A parallel is drawn between the narrator and Severin. While little information are given about the narrator, through Severin we can understand better the narrator, his fears and his desires.
Metonymy and Synecdoche
The term fur is used in the novel as a general way to make reference to the male characters' desire to be controlled.
Personification
We have a personification in the line "and the ground embraced me tenderly".
