Genre
Fiction
Setting and Context
London, around 1825
Narrator and Point of View
Initially, Master Humphrey is the narrator. Later, the book shifts to a third-person point of view.
Tone and Mood
Repressive, Violent, Mysterious, Arduous, Hectic, and Energetic
Protagonist and Antagonist
Nell Trent (Protagonist) vs. Daniel Quilp (Antagonist)
Major Conflict
Trent and her grandfather's struggle to evade Daniel Quilp and his gang.
Climax
When Trent and her grandfather finally find safety.
Foreshadowing
Quilp's death is foreshadowed in the book.
Understatement
The transformative effect Trent's grandfather had on her life is understated initially in the book.
Allusions
To Dickens' previous works, the history and geography of England (many real buildings/towns are featured in the book), the works of Lord Byron, religion, mythology, and the works of Tobias Smollet.
Imagery
Dickens uses intense imagery to underscore the profound poverty of many Englanders.
Paradox
N/A
Parallelism
Trent's story and the stories of other orphans are paralleled in the book.
Metonymy and Synecdoche
N/A
Personification
England as a country is personified in the book.
