Genre
Nonfiction; Religious
Setting and Context
There is no setting as it is a nonfiction book.
Narrator and Point of View
William Paley, who writes in the third person.
Tone and Mood
The tone is of deep-rooted belief and certainty; the mood is authoritative and powerful.
Protagonist and Antagonist
Paley is the protagonist; the natural world is the antagonist.
Major Conflict
The major conflict of the book occurs when William Paley begins his argument about the existence of God in the physical world.
Climax
The climax of the book is reached in the analogy of the watchmaker finding a watch and comparing it to a telescope's eye.
Foreshadowing
Paley's personal view that there exists a God is foreshadowed by the opening statement of the book.
Understatement
The purpose of a deity is understated throughout the book.
Allusions
The book alludes to the importance of finding religion in our physical world.
Imagery
N/A
Paradox
Paley's scientific background is an example of paradox in the book.
Parallelism
There is a parallel between the argument for natural theology and the analogies used by Paley in his book.
Metonymy and Synecdoche
N/A
Personification
The physical existence of God is personified through the arguments made by William Paley.
