The Memory Keeper’s Daughter Literary Elements

Fiction

The novel spans 25 years in the lives of twins who were deliberately separated from birth

The point of view is generally third person in that the narration seems removed from the emotion of one specific character

The tone is melancholy and nostalgic. The mood is hopeful yet at the same time fearful.

Caroline is the protagonist, David the antagonist

There is conflict in the marriage of David and Norah constantly but much of the time the conflict is unspoken. They disagree on the fundamentals of life and more often than not David removes himself from the family dynamic. As Paul grows up he has verbal conflict with his father who criticizes him constantly and does not approve of his life or career choices.

Paul and Phoebe meet each other at the end of the novel.

David recognizes that Phoebe has Down syndrome which foreshadows his decision to institutionalize her.

Norah feels that she never really knew David which is an understatement in that he never showed her the true version of himself or his life; he was hiding the existence of their child and also his "relationship" with her.

The novel alludes to the parent-driven movement to have their children with Down syndrome included in mainstream schools.

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Phoebe has a more "normal" and fulfilling life than Paul does, which is a paradox in that David's belief after finding the his daughter is mentally disabled is that she will never have a normal life, nor a long one.

There is a parallel between David's geographical distance from Phoebe and his emotional distance from Paul.

The Downs community is the name given to all of the individuals making up the community of people who have a child with Down syndrome

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