Genre
Fiction
Setting and Context
Rome (Primary) and Austria (Secondary)
Narrator and Point of View
From the point of view of Franz-Josef Murau.
Tone and Mood
Violent, Mysterious, Chaotic, Intense, and Energetic
Protagonist and Antagonist
Franz-Josef Murau (Protagonist) vs. Austria and its people (Antagonists)
Major Conflict
Murau's struggle to grieve the loss of his parents, deal with his past, and become the master of the Wolfsegg.
Climax
There are a number of climaxes - for example, when Murau asks a couple to get married.
Foreshadowing
Murau's parents deaths are foreshadowed early on in the book.
Understatement
The extent to which many in Murau's family dislikes him is understated.
Allusions
To the history of Italy and Austria, popular culture, geography, Bernhard's other novels, and religion.
Imagery
Bernhard uses intense imagery to underscore Murau's disappointment in having to go back to Austria.
Paradox
N/A
Parallelism
The stories of many in Murau's family are personified in the book.
Metonymy and Synecdoche
N/A
Personification
Murau often personifies Austria as a country.
