Genre
Historical fiction
Setting and Context
Cumberland and Penrith in 1593
Narrator and Point of View
An unnamed, third-person omniscient narrator.
Tone and Mood
The tone is dramatic; the mood is tense.
Protagonist and Antagonist
Peter is the protagonist; Sir Philip Morton is the antagonist.
Major Conflict
The major conflict of the novel occurs when Sir Philip Morton steals the land for farming that belongs to Peter's village in Cumberland.
Climax
The climax of the story is reached when Peter is forced to leave his village as he throws a rock at Sir Philip, so has to escape being prosecuted.
Foreshadowing
The hiding of Peter in the cart is foreshadowed by the fact that he sees Sir Philip.
Understatement
The role of fear is understated throughout the novel.
Allusions
The story alludes to the actions of a few to save the many.
Imagery
The imagery of theatrical drama is present in the novel.
Paradox
The fact that Sir Philip has been knighted, yet isn't an honorable gentleman is an example of paradox in the story.
Parallelism
N/A
Metonymy and Synecdoche
The prop cart is a metonym for the fears that we all have inside.
Personification
N/A
