Genre
Thriller Fiction
Setting and Context
The novel is set in 2003, and the events occur in two locations, the Tidewater Region of Virginia and Iraq.
Narrator and Point of View
A third-person narrative from the perspective of Bajalan
Tone and Mood
The tone is wretched, and the mood is gloomy.
Protagonist and Antagonist
The central character is Bajalan, and the antagonist is Trevor, the CEO of the Decision Tree Company.
Major Conflict
The major conflict is between Bajalan and the mercenaries after his life. Bajalan witnessed the massacre of millions of people when the USA invaded Iraq in 2003. Bajalan is a possible target for the mercenaries to eliminate him because he is a potential witness in the ongoing case.
Climax
The climax comes when Congress concludes an investigation concerning the contract intended to defraud the government of billions of shillings.
Foreshadowing
The discovery of the dead body in the swimming pool foreshadows the eminent danger Bajalan faces.
Understatement
n/a
Allusions
The events in the novels allude to Cynthia McKinney’s story “The Illegal War in Libya,” which highlights the merciless massacre of innocent people from the US military.
Imagery
The description of the dead body Bajalan in the swimming pool depicts a sense of sight to readers. For instance, the body has a tattoo showing that the man belonged to the Australian military. Consequently, even if the man has no identification documents, readers can see he is an Australian citizen.
Paradox
The primary paradox is that Sally still believes that his ex-lover is the only person who can protect her when she faces danger.
Parallelism
There is a parallelism between Catherine's suspicion that Bajalan's life is in danger and Lamar's statement that the secret meeting at the train station targets Bajalan.
Metonymy and Synecdoche
The contractor is a metonymy for the US mercenaries during Iraq's invasion.
Personification
n/a
