Genre
Drama
Language
English
Setting and Context
Black's Apartment, the slums of (presumably) New York
Narrator and Point of View
Told from a third-person point of view
Tone and Mood
Depressing, Solemn, Intellectual, Energizing, Chaotic, Violent, and Sad.
Protagonist and Antagonist
There is no clear Protagonist-Antagonist structure in the play
Major Conflict
Black struggles to get White to realize the value of his life and his struggle to get him to stop thinking about killing himself.
Climax
When Black finally leaves White's apartment
Foreshadowing
McCarthy foreshadows Whites reveal that he is an academic early on in the play when Black and White begin to talk
Understatement
The extent of Black's kindheartedness is understated throughout the play
Allusions
To Samuel Beckett and his play Waiting for Godot, religion, the Bible, mythology, popular culture, McCarthy's other works, and to history and those who inhabited it.
Imagery
McCarthy uses stark imagery to illuminate White and his despair (particularly the train which he tries to kill himself with).
Paradox
White seemingly has it all, yet wants to kill himself.
Parallelism
N/A
Personification
The Sunset Limited (the train) is often personified.
Use of Dramatic Devices
McCarthy uses stage directions to establish the tone, themes, and feel of the play.
