Genre
Fictional Novel
Setting and Context
The book is written in the context of magic realism.
Narrator and Point of View
Third-person narrative
Tone and Mood
Hopeless, curious, informing
Protagonist and Antagonist
Emi is the main protagonist of the story.
Major Conflict
The major conflict occurs when a permanent incident takes place, bringing the Harbor Freeway to a standstill. People have left their cars behind, and the homeless people have transformed them into shelters.
Climax
The climax occurs when Murakami shows up to direct traffic on the Freeway.
Foreshadowing
Emi’s secret relationship with Gabriel foreshadows her uneventful future.
Understatement
N/A
Allusions
The Harbor Freeway incident alludes to challenges that motorists go through in their everyday lives.
Imagery
The images describing the natural beauty of Los Angeles are stunning. For instance, it is indicated that Los Angeles has a desert mountain and a splendid beach close to each other.
Paradox
The main paradox is that cars in the Harbor Freeway are permanently stuck, and drivers decide to leave them behind.
Parallelism
Buzzworm’s story on the Harbor Freeway parallel's Murakami's, who is directing traffic.
Metonymy and Synecdoche
N/A
Personification
The ‘traffic jam’ at the Harbor Freeway is personified as a monster forcing people to abandon their cars.
