Genre
Play
Setting and Context
Andy and Fred's bedrooms in the 1980s.
Narrator and Point of View
A third-person omniscient narrator narrates the play.
Tone and Mood
The tone is reflective; the mood is powerful.
Protagonist and Antagonist
Andy is the protagonist; death is the antagonist.
Major Conflict
The major conflict of the novel occurs when Andy is dying in his hospital bed and begins to reflect on his life up until that moment
Climax
The climax of the story is reached when it is explained how and then why Andy betrayed both his wife and two young sons.
Foreshadowing
The betrayal is foreshadowed by the tough challenges Andy was facing at the time.
Understatement
The role of love and lust is understated throughout the novel.
Allusions
The story alludes to the impact that parental separation can have on children.
Imagery
The imagery of a dysfunctional family is present in the text.
Paradox
The fact that Andy is meant to be a supportive father, yet left is an example of paradox in the story.
Parallelism
There is a parallel between the guilt that Andy feels and the regrets that he has in his life.
Metonymy and Synecdoche
N/A
Personification
N/A
