Genre
Fiction
Setting and Context
A deserted island (in Polynesia), unmentioned date
Narrator and Point of View
Narrated from the POV of a fugitive man hiding on a deserted island
Tone and Mood
The Invention of Morel has a very unstable, hallucinatory tone. The reader can never be sure whether the events described are real or not.
Protagonist and Antagonist
There is not one true "protagonist" or "antagonist" of this book. If necessary, from a conventional standpoint, one may consider the Fugitive the protagonist, and Morel the antagonist.
Major Conflict
Morel claims to have invented a device that allows him to relive reality, so the people on the island can replay one week over and over again. The Fugitive imagines the possibilities this invention presents.
Climax
The Fugitive learns how to operate Morel's invention and decides to try and insert himself in Faustine's life.
Foreshadowing
Throughout the entire book, the narrator's mental instability and unreliability are hinted at.
Understatement
No notable instances.
Allusions
The Fugitive repeatedly alludes to social and economic theorist Thomas Malthus's ideas of necessary population control.
Imagery
The island is described through hazy, tranquil imagery.
Paradox
Even as the Fugitive's mental state de-evolves, he can only focus on Faustine, who does not ever notice him.
Parallelism
The character of Faustine can be seen as a parallel to silent film star Louise Brooks and the demise of her film career.
Metonymy and Synecdoche
No significant examples.
Personification
The Fugitive personifies Morel's invention as the embodiment of chaos, but also unlimited possibility.
