Genre
Short stories, Adult Fiction
Setting and Context
unspecified for the most part; in "The Visitor" the story takes place in Egypt
Narrator and Point of View
The point of view is that of the male characters in each story.
Tone and Mood
Misogynistic, malevolent, deceptive and scheming.
Protagonist and Antagonist
The husbands in "The Switcheroo" are the protagonists of the story but they are actually the antagonists in their marriages, in which their wives are the protagonists.
Major Conflict
Conflict between Oswald and his fellow dinner guests after the perfume is accidentally released.
Climax
The perfume that heightens sexual pleasure is accidentally released at a dinner party.
Foreshadowing
The heartbreak caused to the old flame by the ending of their relationship years ago foreshadows his need for revenge.
Understatement
N/A
Allusions
The story "The Visitor" alludes to the developing business relationship between Britain and Egypt at the time of the book's writing.
Imagery
The imagery is mostly confined to describing the beauty of the women featured in each story, particularly the Syrian women that Oswald is immediately smitten by.
Paradox
Although the husbands are cheating on their wives they are doing so without the usual fears of being found out that an affair would normally have as they had arranged the betrayals between themselves beforehand.
Parallelism
There is a parallel between the husbands who see their wives as sexual entertainment and the returning old flame who also sees his ex only in the context of sex and a relationship.
Metonymy and Synecdoche
Guests are not described individually at the dinner party, but as either "guests" or "fellow diners".
Personification
N/A
