Genre
Historical
Setting and Context
Set during the Nazi regime
Narrator and Point of View
First-person narrative
Tone and Mood
Humorous, satirical, hopeful
Protagonist and Antagonist
Gabriel, the son, is the protagonist of the story.
Major Conflict
The main conflict is that Gabriel senior criticized Gabriel junior's book arguing that it is exploitative. Therefore, the son for many years did not talk with his father eye to eye, but now he is in the hospital to witness his father's critical heart operation.
Climax
The climax is when Gabriel senior confesses to her mistress about his past before he dies. It is revealed that he was a government informant.
Foreshadowing
His confession foreshadows the tarnishing of Gabriel senior's reputation to the mistress about the past. After he dies, the mistress spills the beans, and the older man's reputation is tarnished.
Understatement
The good attributes of Gabriel Junior's book are understated. The fact that the father criticizes the book does not mean that the author went overboard and overlooked the moral standing of society.
Allusions
The story alludes to the father and son relationship with disagreeable opinions about morality.
Imagery
Familial imagery is evident throughout the book. For instance, Gabriel Junior writes a book hoping that his father will be the first to be happy about it, but the reality is contrary. According to the father, the son disregarded morality and decided to be exploitative.
Paradox
The main paradox is that of all the people who disapprove of Gabriel Junior's journalism publications is his biological father.
Parallelism
N/A
Metonymy and Synecdoche
Holocaust is a metonymy for Nazi atrocities and brutality.
Personification
N/A
