Genre
Sentimental novel
Setting and Context
London in 1733
Narrator and Point of View
First-person narrative, First-person point of view
Tone and Mood
The tone is mostly serious while the mood is often dramatic
Protagonist and Antagonist
The protagonist of the story is Amelia, while the position of the antagonist is occupied by Betty Harris, who attempted to deprive the former of her rightful inheritance.
Major Conflict
The major conflict of the story concerns the matrimonial as well as economical conditions of Amelia and her husband.
Climax
The story reaches its climax at the peak of the plot against Amelia leaving the reader to wonder whether she would get her due inheritance at last or not.
Foreshadowing
When Amelia sold her jewelries and belongings to save her husband from debt, her act foreshadows the ending of the novel when she saves him again after inheriting the money left to her by her mother.
Understatement
“…though I always admired her, it was long without any spark of love”
This is an understatement because in this quote, Booth claims he had never loved his wife, which is not correct.
Allusions
“And, indeed, if there should be any such defect in a constitution which my Lord Coke long ago told us…”
This is an allusion to the English politician and judge, Edward Coke.
Imagery
Amelia’s beauty is at the center of the novel as her main attraction. Therefore, when her nose was ruined in an accident, the imagery connected to her injury served to highlight her worth and the value of her character and not just that of her charms.
Paradox
Booth’s feelings for his wife are paradoxical. At times he claims to love her more than anything, at others he declares that he had never truly loved her.
Parallelism
“I cannot conceive how this knowledge should be acquired without reading; and yet certain it is, Mr. Thrasher never read one syllable of the matter”
This passage parallels two opposite conceptions.
Metonymy and Synecdoche
Amelia’s nose is used as a metonymy to develop the motif of internal beauty in the novel. Although she had lost part of her outward beauty, Amelia never lost her value and true worth.
Personification
“How inevitable ruin stared me in the face”
Ruin, here, is given the human aspect of staring.
