Genre
Non-Fiction
Setting and Context
Brooklyn, New York
Narrator and Point of View
From Feldman's point of view
Tone and Mood
Solemn, Creepy, Sad, Chaotic, Mysterious, and Repressive
Protagonist and Antagonist
Feldman (Protagonist) vs. Feldman's ultra-religious community (Antagonist)
Major Conflict
Feldman's struggle to cope with - and eventually escape - her ultra-religious community
Climax
When Feldman ultimately escapes the community
Foreshadowing
Feldman's growing unhappiness which ultimately leads to her escape from the community is foreshadowed often and early on in the book.
Understatement
The naivete of many of the adherents is understated throughout the book.
Allusions
To the history of the United States, geography, religion (mainly Judaism), mythology, and popular culture
Imagery
Feldman uses intense imagery to underscore the repressive and strange nature of the ultra-religious Jewish community she lived in for a good portion of her life.
Paradox
N/A
Parallelism
Feldman's story while living in the community is paralleled with the stories of those who live in the community.
Metonymy and Synecdoche
Satmar = a sect of Hasidic Judaism
Personification
Judaism is personified throughout the book.
