Genre
Autobiographical
Setting and Context
Corfu in the 1930s
Narrator and Point of View
The narrator is Gerald Durrell, who is writing about his childhood.
Tone and Mood
The tone of the novel is humorous.
Protagonist and Antagonist
The protagonist is Gerald. There is no single antagonist, but we might see Margo's first boyfriend as a negative character.
Major Conflict
The major conflict of the novel is adapting to life in Corfu.
Climax
The climax of the novel is the eventful Christmas party.
Foreshadowing
Larry's inflated arrogance in saying that he will be better at hunting than Leslie foreshadows his defeat.
Understatement
Larry understates the fire in the house:
'Well, I don't see why I should freeze to death... why tear all the bedclothes off? Really, the fuss you all make. It's quite simple to put out a fire.'
Allusions
Gerald alludes to the wizard Merlin.
Imagery
The novel contains rich imagery describing Corfu.
Paradox
N/A
Parallelism
Gerald's love for animals is paralleled by Leslie's love for hunting.
Metonymy and Synecdoche
N/A
Personification
Gerald personifies many of the animals he sees in the text, often describing them as having human behaviors and characteristics.
