Genre
Fiction, Religion/Spiritual
Setting and Context
The 1970s, Christmastime, Salt Lake City Utah
Narrator and Point of View
The author is the narrator, Richard, relating the events as he remembers them
Tone and Mood
Spiritual, optimistic and soul-searching, but also very sad and reminiscent
Protagonist and Antagonist
Richard is the protagonist; his inability to understand what Mary is trying to teach him is the antagonistic element
Major Conflict
Conflict within Richard about the long hours he works versus the limited time he is spending with Jenna
Climax
Richard learning that Mary's daughter died and finally understanding her message to him is the climax of the novel
Foreshadowing
The stone angel appearing to Richard in his dreams and also when he wakes from them foreshadows the discovery of the stone angel at Andrea's gravesite
Understatement
Richard says he worked long hours which is an understatement as he is barely home and when he is home he is holed up in the study doing paperwork
Allusions
Mary alludes to the Christmases described in Charles Dickens novels when she tells Richard and Keri what she loves most about Christmastime
Imagery
"It was an ornate wooden box of burgled walnut, intricately carved and highly polished. It was about ten inches wide, fourteen inches long, and a half foot deep, large enough for a sheet of stationery to lie flat inside. It had two large brass hinges crafted in the form of holly leaves. Two leather straps ran horizontally across the lid and buckled securely into silver clasps on each side."
TheChristmas Box is described in great detail giving the reader an vivid visual picture of its appearance
Paradox
Most music boxes play music when you open them and stop playing when the box is closed but the Christmas Box does the opposite
Parallelism
Jenna points out the parallel between her own "absent" Dad and the busy father in her bedtime story who is too busy for his kids
Metonymy and Synecdoche
Mary asks for a list of references - in this case a list of names of people who can give them a character reference, so "references" means people who will give a good character reference
Personification
The teapot was shrieking giving the teapot the gift of willfully making a noise to show its emotions
