Genre
Memoir
Setting and Context
The memoir is set in Eugene (Oregon), Seoul, Philadelphia, and New York City
Narrator and Point of View
The book is written from a first-person perspective and narrated by Michelle Zauner.
Tone and Mood
The tone of the book is loving and reflective. The mood is mournful and introspective.
Protagonist and Antagonist
Zauner is the protagonist of the book. There is no clear antagonist, although her father plays this role to an extent
Major Conflict
The major conflict in the book is Zauner's struggle to cope with her mother's illness and death.
Climax
The death of Zauner's mother is the climax of the book.
Foreshadowing
Early on in the book, Zauner foreshadows her estrangement from her father when she says she only hears from him on rare occasions.
Understatement
N/A
Allusions
Zauner alludes to a number of alternative rock artists and bands throughout the book, including Modest Mouse, the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Joanna Newsom, and Mitski. She also references a James Lipton interview with actress Mariska Hargitay late in the book. The title of her album Psychopomp is an allusion to a Jungian psychological concept.
Imagery
N/A
Paradox
N/A
Parallelism
N/A
Metonymy and Synecdoche
N/A
Personification
N/A
