Genre
Literary Fiction
Setting and Context
The setting is a small college town in the American Midwest.
Narrator and Point of View
The narrator is an unnamed English professor. It is told from a first-person point of view.
Tone and Mood
Tone: Intense, reflectional. Mood: Dark and introspective
Protagonist and Antagonist
Protagonist: The unnamed narrator. Antagonist: John, the husband of the protagonist.
Major Conflict
The major conflict is between the unnamed narrator and her own emotions. The scandal of her husband being accused of sexual misconduct causes her to feel exposed and vulnerable. This leads her to become sexually obsessed with a new employee, Vladimir. Her intellectual clarity clashes with those feelings of shame and vanity. She also struggles to connect with her daughter and maintain relationships with her female students.
Climax
The climax of the story is when the narrator finally acts upon her feelings for Vladimir and they spend the night together.
Foreshadowing
n/a
Understatement
The author uses understatement to describe the narrator's reaction to her husband being accused of sexual misconduct.
Allusions
One allusion in the narrative is to the Slut Walk, an international march first organized in Toronto, Canada in 2011. The event was created to protest against victim blaming and slut-shaming of sexual assault victims.
Imagery
The narrator describes John's physique, clothing, and facial expressions, as well as a glimpse into his personality and behavior. John is described as having a large belly that is straining the elastic of his swim trunks and the buttons of his guayabera shirt. His mouth is tense indicating that he is pleased with himself. The narrator then paints a further picture of John at his favorite bar, buying drinks, and charming Vlad with his stories, jokes, and insights.
Paradox
The narrator’s initial reaction to John's accusations reflects the dichotomy. On one hand, she expresses empathy for the accusers and on the other questions their faults because of spending too much time online.
Parallelism
The author employs a parallel structure to highlight the contrast between the narrator's intellect and rationality on one hand, and her vanity and shame on the other. For instance, she reads academic articles before fixing herself a nighttime drink—demonstrating both an intellectual curiosity as well as a need for self-distraction from deeper feelings of insecurity.
Metonymy and Synecdoche
n/a
Personification
Personification is seen when the ground is described as "sucking at my shoes" and when the dumpster is said to be "crouched beside it." These descriptions give human qualities to non-human objects.
