Genre
Nonfiction
Setting and Context
There is no setting as it is a nonfiction book.
Narrator and Point of View
John Berendt narrates the book in the third-person.
Tone and Mood
The tone is challenging; the mood is dramatic.
Protagonist and Antagonist
Berendt is the protagonist; murder is the antagonist.
Major Conflict
The major conflict of the book occurs when the trial for the murder of Danny Hansford, a male prostitute who was shot begins.
Climax
The climax of the story is reached when Jim Williams is acquitted of all charges of murder, which he called self-defense.
Foreshadowing
The fact that Williams is freed from the murder charges is foreshadowed by the fact that the male prostitute was frowned up by the court.
Understatement
The role that prejudices play is understated throughout the novel.
Allusions
The story alludes to the real-life trial of Williams and the story of Danny Hansford.
Imagery
The imagery of the brutal shooting is present in the novel.
Paradox
The fact that Williams is Hansford's employer, yet doesn't protect him is an example of paradox in the story.
Parallelism
There is a parallel between the life of Danny Hansford and the experience of many male prostitutes at the time.
Metonymy and Synecdoche
N/A
Personification
N/A
