Genre
Philosophical book
Setting and Context
The book is written in the context of the Romantic and Gothic movements.
Narrator and Point of View
First-person narrative
Tone and Mood
Informative, educative, optimistic, intriguing
Protagonist and Antagonist
The protagonist of the story is the narrator.
Major Conflict
The major conflict is when someone completely loses pleasure because the value for living is lost in both the short and long run.
Climax
The climax is attained when an individual gains calmness, certainty and peace of mind. Consequently, an individual's happiness comes when there is a balance between emotion and peace of mind.
Foreshadowing
An individual's positive engagement from the onset foreshadows his emotional stability in future.
Understatement
Human happiness is understated in the text. For instance, Burke assumes that life is all about sublime and emotional stability. In reality, the reader comprehends that spiritual stability makes complete and peaceful.
Allusions
The story alludes to what constitutes an individual's happiness and pain.
Imagery
Light imagery is the most prevalent example used in the text. In the section titled ‘Light,’ visual imagery enables readers to comprehend the impact of darkness on human visibility.
Paradox
The main paradox is when the author concludes that the most ignorant people can reason better than an educated man.
Parallelism
The reasoning of an ignorant person parallels what the enlightened person perceives.
Metonymy and Synecdoche
N/A
Personification
N/A