Genre
Colonial fiction
Setting and Context
Caluctta, India before the 1839 Opium War
Narrator and Point of View
An unnamed omniscient narrator, in the third-person
Tone and Mood
The tone is uncertain and harrowing; the mood is disturbing and dramatic.
Protagonist and Antagonist
Deeti is the protagonist; Zachary is the antagonist.
Major Conflict
The major conflict of the novel occurs when Deeti discovers that on the night of her wedding, she was raped by her brother-in-law after her mother-in-law drugged her with opium.
Climax
The climax of the story is reached when Neel is unable to get rid of his business debt as a result of the Chinese resistance.
Foreshadowing
The hope of Paulette to find a better future is foreshadowed by her mother's death.
Understatement
The role that drug abuse plays in the lives of ordinary people is understated throughout the novel.
Allusions
The story alludes to the emerging war on opium in India at the time.
Imagery
The imagery of prolific substance misuse is present in the novel.
Paradox
N/A
Parallelism
There is a parallel between Zachary's dedication and the fact that he becomes second in command.
Metonymy and Synecdoche
N/A
Personification
The drug afflicted Calcutta is personified through the broken town walls.
