Genre
Short Fiction
Setting and Context
America in the 20th Century. 'A Tree of Night' is set on a train.
Narrator and Point of View
'A Christmas Memory' is narrated by a seven-year-old called Buddy.
Tone and Mood
Often Capote's stories are mysterious and foreboding in tone.
Protagonist and Antagonist
The protagonist of 'A Tree of Night' is Kay, while the antagonist is the couple on the train.
Major Conflict
The conflict of 'A Tree of Night,' is Kay's attempt to escape from the couple.
Climax
The climax of 'Miriam' is when Miriam enters Mrs. Miller's apartment and refuses to leave.
Foreshadowing
Miriam's ghostly nature is foreshadowed with descriptions of her. For example, she is described as having white hair.
Understatement
Buddy understates his disappointment about not receiving a bike to his family.
Allusions
N/A
Imagery
Miriam is compared to a "frost flower," which associates her with emotional coldness.
Paradox
Miriam is a young girl, but her eyes say otherwise. The narrator describes her eyes as having nothing childlike about them.
Parallelism
Miriam and Mrs. Miller are paralleled, suggesting they might be the same person. For example, both are described as having white hair.
Metonymy and Synecdoche
N/A
Personification
Miriam's silk dress is described as murmuring.
