Genre
Collection of essays
Setting and Context
Written in the context of life experiences
Narrator and Point of View
First-person narrative
Tone and Mood
Sad, enlightening and sanguine
Protagonist and Antagonist
The central character in the book is James Baldwin.
Major Conflict
The major conflict is in 'The Discovery of What It Means to Be an American' in which American uniqueness is obscured by issues of ethnic dissection, which runs far deeper than measly chauvinism, bigotry and enriching attitudes.
Climax
The climax is in 'A Fly in the Buttermilk', where race is used as a political strategy pushing for the abolition of the slave trade to appeal to the blacks and the international community.
Foreshadowing
Baldwin’s visit to Southern America in ‘Nobody Knows My Name: A Letter from the South’ foreshadows his first-hand experience on the brutality of hardcore violence and racism.
Understatement
The hostility towards homosexual people in society is understated in the essay 'The Male Prison.'
Allusions
The essay ‘The Northern Protestant’ alludes to racism, sexual discrimination and religious intolerance.
Imagery
The images of Baldwin’s typewriting in the essay ‘ The Discovery of What it means to An American' depict a sense of sight to readers.
Paradox
The main paradox is in the essay ‘The Black Boy Looks at the White Boy’ in which Norman wants to be like a black person who is inferior and discriminated against.
Parallelism
N/A
Metonymy and Synecdoche
Façade in ‘Princess and Powers’ is used as a metonymy to cover up or disguise.
Personification
N/A
