Genre
Historical fiction
Setting and Context
Set in the 1850s during the Gold Rush in California
Narrator and Point of View
Third-person narrative
Tone and Mood
The tone is candid, and the mood is gloomy.
Protagonist and Antagonist
The protagonist is Eliza, and the antagonists are the murderers.
Major Conflict
There is a major conflict between Eliza and the men in society. The men mistreat women, and they deny them access to opportunities. The only work women in the area can do is prostitution.
Climax
The climax comes when Eliza and Jean discover the person responsible for the mysterious murders of prostituted women.
Foreshadowing
The death of Eliza’s husband foreshadows her decision to begin prostituting.
Understatement
n/a
Allusions
The investigation conducted by Eliza and Jean alludes to Edgar Allan Poe’s novel The Murders in Rue Morgue, which is about detective investigations.
Imagery
There is imagery when the narrator says, "empty of smell, of sound. Even the light, the beautiful Monterey light, had been blocked out by heavy curtains."The author paints a picture of darkness and emptiness to show readers the mysterious ambience of the Harwood house.
Paradox
The main paradox is that Peter convinces Eliza's parents that he is wealthy when he knows he is struggling financially. Eliza's parents easily fall for Peter's trap when they release their daughter to be married to Peter.
Parallelism
There is a parallelism between Mrs. Parks' caution about the possible danger to her girls and the realization that prostitutes are dying mysteriously.
Metonymy and Synecdoche
n/a
Personification
The brothel is personified when Eliza says it is full of life and hope.
