Genre
historical fiction
Setting and Context
1907/1908 in Battle Creek, Michigan
Narrator and Point of View
Narrator: omniscient
Point of view: third person
Tone and Mood
Tone: indirect;
Mood: adventurous, chaotic
Protagonist and Antagonist
Protagonist: Will Lightbody, Charlie Osinning: Antagonist: Doctor John Kellogg, Bender
Major Conflict
The novel introduces Doctor Kellogg as the perfectionist and manipulator of rich patients. His perfect life is suddenly disrupted by his son George. Will Lightbody and his wife Eleanor are on the train to Battle Creek to stay in Doctor Kellogg's Sanatorium. They meet with Charlie Osinning, an aspiring businessman who travels to Battle Creek to start his breakfast cereal business. The novel follows the two characters of Charlie and Will parallelly, who find themselves in unescapable, frustrating circumstances that make their lives go completely downhill.
Climax
Will Lightbody discovers Eleanor in a forest practicing the freikörperkultur. Furious, he disrupts the group and lead Eleanor out, ordering her to dress herself. They finally return home. Charlie Osinning escapes the imprisonment and has an epiphany at the old factory he's hiding in-he decides to go into business of making tonic. Doctor Kellogg and George finally come face to face, and it ends in George's death by the doctor's hands.
Foreshadowing
"Next thing he knew, one of the patients would turn up dead."
-Doctor Kellogg short before one of his patients actually turns up dead on one of his devices, namely Homer Praetz.
Understatement
Eleanor understates her visits to Dr. Spitzvogel to Will, calling them necessary treatments for her nerves, well aware of the reality behind those "Handhabung" treatments.
Allusions
The entire novel is an allusion to the life of the actual Doctor John Kellogg.
Imagery
Imagery of food and comparison of what is healthy and unhealthy food is present throughout, especially in the journey of Will, who is violated with Kellogg's diet that only makes his health deteriorate.
Paradox
"...way beyond the bound of reason and propriety; seeking health, she'd found disease and corruption."
-Eleanor on her reasoning behind poisoning her husband and destroying his stomach.
"Battle Creek, the Biggest Little City in the U.S.A."
Parallelism
"And then Eleanor was there, sweetly, sweetly, all in sweetness, and this time it was she who was embracing him."
Metonymy and Synecdoche
"The great gangling sack of self-abuse and adolescent lusts that stood there before him flushed crimson even to the tips of his ears."
-Doctor Kellogg about Will Lightbody who came to seek advice from him
Personification
"The sun held him in its grip, cupped him and held him, and despite himself, he dozed off."
