Genre
Psychological thriller
Setting and Context
Set in the city of New York and written in the context of the Oppenheimer family
Narrator and Point of View
First-person narration by Phoebe Oppenheimer
Tone and Mood
The tone is tense, and the mood is impulsive.
Protagonist and Antagonist
The protagonists are Sally, Harrison, and Lewyn.
Major Conflict
The main conflict is that Oppenheimer is at odds with his wife and children creating a temporary rift in the family.
Climax
The climax comes when Johanna discovers her husband has another woman with a child.
Foreshadowing
Johanna’s decision to go for IVF is foreshadowed by her three years of childlessness.
Understatement
N/A
Allusions
N/A
Imagery
The description of Salo’s apartment depicts the sense of sight to readers. The imagery is significant because it reminds readers that happiness is not a wealth product. Salo and his wife are rich and have all the luxuries, but they are not happy. From the house's description, the reader sees affluence, but there is no happiness.
Paradox
The primary paradox is that the triplets, Harrison, Lawn, and Sally, are not happy despite having all the wealth and privilege. The reader finds it ironic that people with the best in life are sad.
Parallelism
There is a parallelism between Johanna's sexual dysfunction and her decision to have her fourth embryo gestated by a surrogate.
Metonymy and Synecdoche
The synagogue is used as a metonymy for God’s authority.
Personification
The Nazi Mercedes Benz company is personified as the traitor who oppresses the Jews.
