God Help the Child Literary Elements

God Help the Child Literary Elements

Genre

African-American literature

Setting and Context

1900, California

Narrator and Point of View

Lula Ann Bridewell (Bridie)

Tone and Mood

Reflecting

Protagonist and Antagonist

Protagonist: Bridie Antagonist: Rasicm

Major Conflict

Bridie has the darkest skin imaginable and is discriminated by her own parents because of it.

Climax

When Sweetness explains her side of the story.

Foreshadowing

The racism and colorism shown by Bridie's parents foreshadow the way Bridie would be treated by society.

Understatement

Bridie's parents' upbringing is an understatement, as their parents molded how they also would treat their own children.

Allusions

The reader might have allusions to the colonial times, as well as stories portraying racism, such as "12 Years a Slave".

Imagery

The imagery of Bridie's father leaving them because of the color of Bridie's skin is alarming, as it shows just how much skin color can impact someone's life.

Paradox

"All skin is beautiful" is a paradox continuously discussed in the book. Even though Bridie's skin is described as beautiful, no one around her believes it.

Parallelism

N/A

Metonymy and Synecdoche

N/A

Personification

N/A

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