Genre
Children's picture book, fantasy
Setting and Context
Max's house in suburban America, and the imaginary land of the wild things
Narrator and Point of View
Third-person narrator
Tone and Mood
Surreal, emotional
Protagonist and Antagonist
Max is the protagonist and his anger is the antagonist.
Major Conflict
When Max's mother sends him to bed without supper, he is forced to bear the consequences of his anger. He faces his emotions head-on in the land of the wild things before coming to a resolution and returning home.
Climax
The climax of the story is the "wild rumpus" that Max and the wild things engage in together. After a night of anger and upset feelings, these scenes, depicted only by illustration, are when Max works through his emotions.
Foreshadowing
N/A
Understatement
N/A
Allusions
N/A
Imagery
The land of the wild things, and the creatures themselves, are depicted with vivid imagery both in text and in illustration.
Paradox
N/A
Parallelism
Max enacts a punishment on the wild things that is parallel to the punishment he receives from his mother. He sends them to bed without dinner after they all engaged in a "wild rumpus."
Metonymy and Synecdoche
N/A
Personification
Max's emotions are personified as the fantastical wild things.
