Genre
A novel
Setting and Context
The events of the story take place in the summer of 1969 and during a period of time that is approximately 20 years later in California.
Narrator and Point of View
The story is told from the first point of view. The narrator is Evie Boyd.
Tone and Mood
The tone is contemplative and the mood is unsettling.
Protagonist and Antagonist
Evie Boyd is the protagonist. Russell is the antagonist.
Major Conflict
The main conflict is person vs. self. Evie tries to find answers to questions that she is afraid of asking.
Climax
The murders of Mitch’s ex-wife, their little son, a caretaker, and his girlfriend are the climax of the story.
Foreshadowing
They herd everyone into the living room. The moment the frightened people understand the sweet dailiness of their lives – the swallow of morning orange juice, the tilting curve taken on a bicycle – is already gone.
These words foreshadow the events of the story. Evie recollects the events that happened in the past and thinks of the way they continue influencing her even now.
Understatement
Death seemed to me like a lobby.
Allusions
The whole novel alludes to Charles Manson.
Imagery
There is an imagery of the ranch.
Paradox
Why would a secret society lay out their plans in common currency?
Parallelism
Peter’s gone, like gone gone.
Metonymy and Synecdoche
He’d taken the last TWA flight of the night out of SFO, landing in Burbank, leaving his house in the hands of Scotty. (In the hands of is synecdoche that represents responsibility.)
Though most of the town was there. (The town is synecdoche that represents the citizens.)
Personification
I heard the groan of a mattress.
