Genre
Historical fiction
Setting and Context
The first part of the novel takes place in Africa, and the rest of the books’ events happen in the USA. The time of the novel in definitely before the year 1808, as in 1808 the Act Prohibiting Importation of Slaves was passed, and after it no more slaves were imported to the country.
Narrator and Point of View
It is the third-person type of narration.
Tone and Mood
The tone is sad and depressed. The mood is low-spirited.
Protagonist and Antagonist
The protagonists are Amari and Polly. The antagonist is the slave system in general.
Major Conflict
The main conflict is of slavery, and how it effects free people as well.
Climax
The climax of the novel is when Polly and Amari decide to escape from the mansion and from slavery.
Foreshadowing
“My spirit is too strong to die in a place like this”
These words foreshadow that Amari is not going to give up so easily.
Understatement
N/A
Allusions
The novel alludes mainly to geographical places, names of countries and cities.
Imagery
The book contains many images of tribal life and of routines of slaves in the US.
Paradox
An important paradox of the book is the fact of friendship between a slave girl and a free girl, who in her turn was brought up with complete disrespect towards black slaves.
Parallelism
“No one spoke. No one wept.”
Metonymy and Synecdoche
“The village bubbled with anticipation as preparations were made for a formal welcoming ceremony”. (the ‘village’ is a synecdoche for people)
Personification
Death has come for some of us. (death is personified)
