Genre
A novel
Setting and Context
The events of the novel take place in England, in the city of York. The time is accurately set – the actions develop in the period between 1951 and 1992.
Narrator and Point of View
The narration is of the first-person type. The narrator is Ruby Lennox, the protagonist. However, there are a few chapters that are told by other members of Ruby’s family: by her mother Bunty, grandmother Nell, and great-grandmother Alice.
Tone and Mood
The tone of the novel is dramatic and dispiriting. The mood is disturbing and unsettling.
Protagonist and Antagonist
Ruby Lennox is the protagonist. Her mother Bunty is the antagonist.
Major Conflict
The major conflict of the novel is parental neglect.
Climax
The reunion of Ruby and her sister Patricia is the climax of the novel.
Foreshadowing
At the very beginning of the story, Bunty says to her elder daughter: “Well I don’t like children, so that’s too bad for you, isn’t it?” These words become dark foreshadowing for Ruby, who was at that moment in Bunty’s belly.
Understatement
The place of the father in the girls’ lives is understated.
Allusions
The story alludes to some historic figures and fictional characters:
“Guy Fawkes was born here, Dick Turpin was hung a few streets away and Robinson Crusoe, that other great hero, is also a native son of this city.”
“The man at her side is unbelievably handsome, remarkably like Gary Cooper, while Bunty herself bears a passing resemblance to Celia Johnson.”
Imagery
The novel reveals images of World War I and II.
Paradox
N/A
Parallelism
The chapters of the novel are revealed in parallels by Ruby and other narrators.
Metonymy and Synecdoche
“No mittens and bonnets for me yet, just the warm, obliging innards of Bunty’s unconscious body” (“warm, obliging innards” is metonymy for clothes)
Personification
“Swooping, tweeting birds dance excitedly above our heads, their tiny flight muscles at full throttle – miniature angels of the Annunciation, avian Gabriels, come to shout my arrival!” (birds are personified)
