Genre
Short stories
Setting and Context
San Francisco
Narrator and Point of View
The narrators vary according to the story but are often from the perspective of the protagonist.
Tone and Mood
The tone of the stories is often thoughtful and introspective.
Protagonist and Antagonist
In "The Responsibility of Deceit," the protagonist is Calvin and his parents are the antagonists.
Major Conflict
In "Accepted," Elaine's conflict is coming to terms with her rejection from Harvard.
Climax
In "The Responsibility of Deceit," the climax is when Calvin is seen out with his partner by family friends.
Foreshadowing
Kingsway's demise is foreshadowed in the following passage: “I believed that someday, if—when—the cosmic prank ended and I reclaimed my destiny as a loser, I’d have the pictures to remind me of my time in the stars.” The result is a fall as meteoric as his rise and shame for his parents.
Understatement
In these stories, parents often underestimate the impact that high expectations have on their children.
Allusions
The city of San Francisco is often alluded to in these stories.
Imagery
Kingsway uses imagery to describe his fame as being his "time in the stars."
Paradox
Parents are shown to love their children in these stories, which paradoxically often causes them great misery in the way it manifests.
Parallelism
All the protagonists are paralleled by similar experiences, including an experience of being deceitful.
Metonymy and Synecdoche
N/A
Personification
N/A
