Genre
Fiction
Setting and Context
The action in the novel takes place in France in present time.
Narrator and Point of View
The novel is told from a third-person objective point of view.
Tone and Mood
The tone used in the novel is a neutral one.
Protagonist and Antagonist
The protagonist is Ned while the antagonists are the two men pining over Ysabel.
Major Conflict
The major conflict in the novel is between the supernatural and the natural world.
Climax
The novel reaches its climax when the major character discovers the identity of the mystery woman in the cathedral and the identity of the two men who were in love with her.
Foreshadowing
The novel begins with the description of the place where the action will eventually take place, a forest somewhere in France which is described as being extremely mysterious and frightening those who lived near it. The description which appears in the beginning of the novel foreshadows the later supernatural events which will take place in the forest.
Understatement
When Ned claims the Cathedral in the town where he is staying with his father is completely safe is an understatement as it is later revealed the Cathedral hides many secrets, some of them daily.
Allusions
N/A
Imagery
Another important image is the way in which Aunt Kim is portrayed in the novel. When she is first introduced, Aunt Kim is described as being completely calm and unaffected by the supernatural elements which happen around her. This image is used to show the calmness knowing the truth can bring to a person.
Paradox
A paradoxical idea appears in the beginning of the novel when Ned claims to not be interested in his father’s work. This changes as time progresses and we see Ned giving his father valuable tips and recommendations when it came to the most important sights to shoot thus proving Ned was interested in his father’s work.
Parallelism
A parallel is drawn between Ned and his mother when it comes to their attitude towards the world. From the way in which the mother is described, she is portrayed as an extremely distant person who has troubles relating to the others. This parallel has the purpose of explaining why Ned reacts in the way he does and why he has troubles relating to others.
Metonymy and Synecdoche
The cathedral which is mentioned on numerous occasions in the novel is used as a general term to make reference to the supernatural elements which were taking place in the area.
Personification
We find a personification in the sentence “the woods came to the edge of the property”.
