Genre
Novel, Fiction
Setting and Context
Early Twentieth-Century America
Narrator and Point of View
Third-person narrator
Tone and Mood
Prejudice, coldness, dishonor
Protagonist and Antagonist
Berry Hamilton: Protagonist; Maurice Oakley: Antagonist
Major Conflict
The unjust accusation of Berry Hamilton of being a thief that results in him being dishonorably imprisoned and the split-up of his family members that follows after his imprisonment.
Climax
Mr.Skaggs’s unearthing of the guiltlessness of Berry Hamilton.
Foreshadowing
N/A
Understatement
The officer examining the theft understates Berry's earnings from Berry's labor to pin him down as a thief. However, Berry affirms that the money he had deposited was from the little savings he had been keeping in his socks.
Allusions
The title is an allusion to religion. There are historical allusions such as slavery.
Imagery
Joe’s pervasive alcoholism is an exhibition of inherent despair and trauma. Consequently, he fails to exercise moral judgment when he murders Hattie.
Paradox
Calling Berry a criminal is paradoxical because he did not filch the money.
Parallelism
The black characters in the play utilize African-American vernacular English dialect.
Metonymy and Synecdoche
‘Niggah’ denotes a black person. ‘Gawd’ denotes God.
Personification
The cell where Berry is locked is personified because it treats Berry compassionately, unlike the black folks who deride and rebuff him.
