Genre
Contemporary fiction
Setting and Context
Burgdorf in Germany throughout the Second World War
Narrator and Point of View
An unnamed, third-person omniscient narrator.
Tone and Mood
The tone is bleak; the mood is emotional.
Protagonist and Antagonist
Trudi is the protagonist; her mother is the antagonist.
Major Conflict
The major conflict of the novel occurs when Trudi's own mother rejects her as a daughter due to the fact that Trudi is born with dwarfism.
Climax
The climax of the story is reached when Trudi realizes that she is different and gets the nickname of 'Zwerg'.
Foreshadowing
The disturbed nature of Trudi's mother is foreshadowed by the fact that she herself was poorly treated by her mother.
Understatement
The impact of disability on daily life is understated throughout the novel.
Allusions
The story alludes to the Nazi persecution of the handicapped during World War II.
Imagery
The imagery of the well-stocked library that Trudi's father runs is present in the novel.
Paradox
The fact that Trudi's mother is meant to be supportive, yet disowns her daughter is an example of paradox in the story.
Parallelism
There is a parallel between the treatment of Trudi by the villagers and the treatment of disabled people in Germany at thee time.
Metonymy and Synecdoche
N/A
Personification
N/A
