Genre
Short story; magical realism
Setting and Context
The first part of the story is set in a rural English mansion during the Blitz of WWII. The second half takes place in 1984.
Narrator and Point of View
The story is narrated by an unnamed third-person narrator. The point of view switches between Penny and Primrose.
Tone and Mood
The tone is whimsical, fairytale-like, and reflective; the mood is ominous and mournful.
Protagonist and Antagonist
The protagonists are Penny and Primrose; the antagonist is the Thing, which they see in the forest.
Major Conflict
The major conflict in the story is that Penny and Primrose don't know what to make of their encounter with a horrible, fantastical creature they see when they are girls.
Climax
The story reaches its climax when Penny returns to the forest to confront the Thing; simultaneously, Primrose turns the memory of seeing the Thing into a children's story.
Foreshadowing
Understatement
Allusions
When discussing how they will find their way out of the forest, the girls allude to the famous Grimm fairytale "Hansel and Gretel."
