Ann Veronica Literary Elements

Fiction

Late nineteenth century London, during the first period of women's suffrage.

The point of view is that of Ann Veronica.

The tone is one of frustration and social claustrophobia for women; the mood is alternately optimistic and outraged.

Ann Veronica is the protagonist, her father the antagonist.

There is constant conflict between Ann Veronica and her father because she is a grown woman wanting some autonomy and he is pushing back ever harder in his attempts to completely control her.

Capes gives in to Ann Veronica's declarations of love and the couple go to the Alps together for their version of a honeymoon.

Ann Veronica's determination to attend the costume ball foreshadows her father's violence, because he is unable to get his own way and prevent her from going to the ball with his rhetoric.

Ann Veronica's home is said to be patriarchal, but his Is an understatement, because it is more of a dictatorship, where she has no control over her own life at all.

The story alludes to the suffragette movement of the early twentieth century, specifically the charging of Parliament by the suffragettes.

Femininity as presented through Ann Veronica, such as depictions of her dark hair
The beauty of the setting as presented through colour such as 'yellow' to describe buildings

Ann Veronica wants to live an autonomous life and to make her own decisions but in order to break free of her father's control she has to rely on another man, rather than striking out on her own.

There is a parallel between Ann Veronica's struggle to free herself from a patriarchal home, and the struggle of women at the time to free themselves from a patriarchal society.

"Suffragettes" is the word used to represent all of the women involved in the suffrage movement.

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