Genre
Fiction romance novel
Setting and Context
Set in the countryside, Dorset, in Saunter England
Narrator and Point of View
Third-person narrative
Tone and Mood
The tone is witty, and the mood is romantic.
Protagonist and Antagonist
The central character is Phyllis, and the antagonist is the judgmental society.
Major Conflict
There is a major conflict between Phyllis and society. Society expects a high-standing man to marry a high-class woman and vice versa.
Climax
The climax comes when Humphrey returns with a gift to apologize to Phyllis, and when she overhears him confirming that the gift belongs to her, she turns down Tina's offer to escape with her.
Foreshadowing
Dr. Grove's philosophical meditation foreshadows Phyllis's lower societal standing.
Understatement
n/a
Allusions
n/a
Imagery
The description of Tina's grave, which Phyllis tended the rest of her life, depicts a sense of sight. Phyllis plants flowers and decorates the grave to keep her memory alive because he is the man she loves.
Paradox
The primary paradox is that Phyllis knows that her father does not want her to talk to any other man because she is engaged to Humphrey, but she secretly sneaks to talk with Tina over the fence.
Parallelism
There is a parallelism between societal expectations and Dr. Grove's persistence that Phyllis must be married to Humphrey.
Metonymy and Synecdoche
The British uniform is used as a metonymy for the soldiers supremacy and control.
Personification
The fog is personified when the narrator says he denies soldiers an opportunity to escape.
