Genre
Historical fiction
Setting and Context
Dublin in the early 20th century
Narrator and Point of View
Henry narrates the story in the first-person.
Tone and Mood
The tone is powerful and hopeful; the mood is uplifting and inspiring.
Protagonist and Antagonist
Henry is the protagonist; the Easter Rising is the antagonist.
Major Conflict
The major conflict of the novel occurs when Henry first becomes involves with the major players of the Irish Citizen Army.
Climax
The climax of the story is reached when Henry then is tasked with the role of being the gunman against the British in the guerilla war.
Foreshadowing
The endless killing is foreshadowed by the violence of the machine gun that Henry uses.
Understatement
The role that war plays of childhood innocence is understated throughout the novel.
Allusions
The story alludes to the impact that the Irish War of Independence had of the citizens of Dublin.
Imagery
The imagery of violent and chaotic fighting is present in the novel.
Paradox
N/A
Parallelism
There is a parallel between the anger that Henry feels and the hatred of the Irish towards the British.
Metonymy and Synecdoche
The machine gun that Henry uses is a metonym for the large scale violence taking place.
Personification
N/A
