Genre
Non-fiction/speculative history
Setting and Context
American History
Narrator and Point of View
Told through Zinn's Socialist point-of-view
Tone and Mood
Historical, Chaotic, Energetic, Revolutionary, and Violent
Protagonist and Antagonist
Not very applicable, although some could interpret the protagonists of the book to be those impacted by racism (black people and Native Americans, mainly) and poor people. The antagonists could be considered racist people and rich people.
Major Conflict
Not very applicable, although Zinn oftentimes mentions class conflict (between rich and poor) and the conflict between racists and those impacted by said racism (mainly black people).
Climax
As a nonfiction book, this is not applicable.
Foreshadowing
N/A
Understatement
The grave danger the United States was in during WWII was understated in the chapter that covered the war.
Allusions
To history, books (by Marx, Engels, and Alinsky, particularly), popular culture, geography, religion, mythology, and the Bible.
Imagery
Throughout the book, Zinn uses stark imagery to paint a grim picture of, for example, the grim conditions that faced Africans who became slaves
Paradox
Zinn argues that World War II was mostly unpopular. However, by every metric, it was not.
Parallelism
Zinn often draws parallels between the story of the Native Americans and Black people in America.
Metonymy and Synecdoche
The term "War on Terrorism" is synonymous with the Bush Presidency and the 2000's.
Personification
The U.S. government is often personified in the book.
