At Hiruharama Literary Elements

Short story

The story is set in the early 1900s in New Zealand, specifically in the remote town of Hiruharama and the nearby town of Awanui. The story is set in a time when the country was still being settled and when medical care was not always readily available in remote areas.

The narrator of "At Hiruharama" is not specified, but it appears to be an omniscient narrator who is able to provide insight into the thoughts and feelings of the characters. This allows the reader to understand the motivations and experiences of the characters, as well as the broader themes of the story.

The tone is wry and humorous, as evidenced by the interactions between the characters and the absurd situation of the Tanners delivering their own child. The mood is one of anticipation and excitement, as the Tanners await the arrival of their child.

The protagonist is Tanner, who is the main character of the story. There is no clear antagonist in the story, as the conflict arises from the challenges of delivering a child in a remote area without access to medical professionals. Instead, the story focuses on the challenges faced by Tanner and his wife, Kitty, as they navigate this difficult situation.

The major conflict in "At Hiruharama" is the challenge of delivering a child in a remote area without access to medical professionals. This conflict is exacerbated by the fact that the Tanners are not experienced in childbirth and must rely on their own resourcefulness to successfully deliver their child.

The climax of the story is the birth of the Tanners' child and the realization that there is a second baby that was not initially apparent. This moment is the peak of the story's conflict and leads to the resolution of the story.

The use of racing pigeons to send for the doctor foreshadows the delay in their arrival, as it takes longer for the pigeons to reach Awanui than it would for a person to travel there. This foreshadows the potential complications that could arise if the Tanners are unable to get help in time for the birth of their child.

An example of understatement is when the doctor and his sister-in-law arrive and the doctor says that everything "seems to have gone off very well" even though the Tanners had delivered their own child. This understatement is used to downplay the potentially dangerous situation and to suggest that the Tanners handled the situation well despite the challenges they faced.

There are no allusions in "At Hiruharama" as it is a fictional story.

The imagery in the story includes the description of Tanner "covered in blood, something like a butcher" after delivering his own child, as well as the imagery related to the value of neglected or abandoned people, places, and objects, such as the abandoned plot of land that the Tanners turn into a thriving homestead.

An example of a paradox is the idea that value is determined not by intrinsic qualities but by perception. For example, the tinplate in the Tanners' kitchen that reads "Throw Nothing Away" suggests that something of importance can often be found in the things people take for granted or fail to fully consider. However, the discovery of a second child in what Tanner mistook for afterbirth shows that even something that is initially perceived as valueless can actually be of great value.

One example of parallelism in "At Hiruharama" is the parallel experiences of Tanner and Kitty. Both come from humble beginnings in England and are initially mistreated in New Zealand, with Tanner being treated as a servant rather than an apprentice and Kitty being treated as a servant rather than a governess. Through their shared experiences, they develop a strong bond and eventually decide to get married.

An example of metonymy is the use of the term "the doctor" to refer to the medical professional who comes to assist with the birth of the Tanners' child. This is an example of metonymy because "the doctor" is used to refer to the person, rather than their actual name.

One example of personification in "At Hiruharama" is the personification of the abandoned plot of land as being "abandoned" by its past tenants. This personifies the land by giving it the ability to be abandoned, which is a human trait.