Farewell My Concubine Literary Elements

Farewell My Concubine Literary Elements

Genre

Chinese Novel

Setting and Context

Set in the late 19th century

Narrator and Point of View

Third-person narrative

Tone and Mood

Somber and disheartening

Protagonist and Antagonist

The central character is Master Guan.

Major Conflict

The conflict is that Master Guan is abusive and mistreats his troupe by beating them close to death.

Climax

The climax comes in 1997 when Shitou and Douzi reunite.

Foreshadowing

Master Guan’s brutality foreshadows the death of Laizi.

Understatement

The viciousness of Master Guan is understated. Despite beating members of his troupe nearly to death, he has prioritized profit over the welfare of his people.

Allusions

The novel alludes to real-life scenarios and occurrences that actors go through in the hands of their masters.

Imagery

The imagery of horror and death is evident in the novel. Through the imagery of death, the reader sees how Liz and Douzi die due to their master’s brutality.

Paradox

The main paradox is that people are discriminated against in their gender roles. For instance, Douzi is a homosexual, but he cannot enjoy his sexuality.

Parallelism

N/A

Metonymy and Synecdoche

An act of mercy is a metonymy for affection and love towards the homeless.

Personification

N/A

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