Genre
Historical fiction
Setting and Context
Afghanistan in the late 1940s.
Narrator and Point of View
The novel is written from the perspective of Mark Miller, the novel's protagonist.
Tone and Mood
The tone of the novel is curious, as Mark is interested to learn about Afghanistan's culture and history.
Protagonist and Antagonist
The protagonist is Mark, and the antagonist is various societal and historical forces.
Major Conflict
The major conflict in the text is the disappearance of Ellen.
Climax
The climax of the novel is when Mark finds Ellen.
Foreshadowing
The title of the novel foreshadows the symbolic significance of caravans in the text.
Understatement
N/A
Allusions
The novel alludes to Afghanistan's violent history throughout the text.
Imagery
The author uses imagery to describe Mark's surroundings in Afghanistan, including nature, culture, and customs.
Paradox
N/A
Parallelism
Mark describes Kabul as "just emerging from the bronze age", and parallels this with Verbruggen: "He too was only just emerging from his own bronze age."
Metonymy and Synecdoche
"Washington" is used to refer to the American government.
Personification
Mark describes the city of Kabul as "emerging", therefore personifying the city.
