Genre
Novel
Setting and Context
Set in the late 18th century in the context of post-Civil War America.
Narrator and Point of View
Third-person narrative
Tone and Mood
The tone is subjective and the mood is doubtful.
Protagonist and Antagonist
Rena is the central protagonist in the story.
Major Conflict
The main conflict is the identity crisis that Rena and his brother John go through. These two siblings live a normal life among the whites by faking their heritage because they do not show that they are half Black. Rena and John's mother is Black.
Climax
The climax comes too late when George comes to proclaim his love for Rena after she is dead. Initially, George had refused to marry Rena because he discovered that she was half Black.
Foreshadowing
Rina’s dreams foreshadow the ailing condition of her mother.
Understatement
Love based on skin color is understated in the text. The first time George meets Rena, he loves her because he assumes that she is a pure white woman. However, he ceases to love her when he realizes that she is half black.
Allusions
The story alludes to the challenges the mixed-race people go through in the USA. For instance, mixed-race people are racially discriminated against, and intermarriages are discouraged.
Imagery
The imagery of color is the most predominant in the text. The images of discrimination based on skin color depict sight, enabling readers to see the challenges nonwhites go through in America. For instance, John had to fake his heritage as white for him to be a successful lawyer. Similarly, Rena had to hide her black heritage to attract the love of George.
Paradox
The main paradox is that George proclaims his love for Rena when she is dead, yet he revokes his marriage proposal when he realizes that she is half black.
Parallelism
The lifestyle of the mixed-race people parallels the lives of the whites in reality.
Metonymy and Synecdoche
N/A
Personification
Bigotry is personified as a monster that disregards the value of humanity regardless of color.
