Genre
Political fiction
Setting and Context
Montana and Portland at an unspecified time period.
Narrator and Point of View
An unnamed, third-person omniscient narrator.
Tone and Mood
The tone is emotional; the mood is sincere.
Protagonist and Antagonist
Archilde is the protagonist; Max is the antagonist.
Major Conflict
The major conflict of the novel occurs when Archilide returns from living in Portland and moves in with his father at their ranch in Montana.
Climax
The climax of the story is reached when Archilide stumbles upon Sheriff Quigley while he and Catherine are out hunting in the mountains.
Foreshadowing
The death of the deer is foreshadowed by Louis' reckless behavior.
Understatement
The role of social differences is understated throughout the novel.
Allusions
The story alludes to the daily life of a working ranch in America.
Imagery
The imagery of an intense hunt is present in the novel.
Paradox
The fact that Louis should by guiding Max, yet is immature is an example of paradox in the story.
Parallelism
There is a parallel between the loneliness that Archilide previously felt in Portland and the isolation that Catherine felt from her family.
Metonymy and Synecdoche
N/A
Personification
N/A
