Genre
HIstorical Fiction
Setting and Context
Remote English village in the early 1600s against a background of uncertainty due to the recent Inclosure Act
Narrator and Point of View
The narrator is a man named Walter Thirsk, whose main role is narration, and who does not appear in the majority of the novel, although he is instrumental at the end,
Tone and Mood
Depressing and threatening
Protagonist and Antagonist
The villagers are the protagonists; Edmund Jordan is the antagonist,
Major Conflict
There is plenty of conflict in the novel but the major one is between Jordan and the villagers. Jordan has come to claim ownership of his lands which he intends to fence off and dedicated to sheep farming. The villagers are opposed to this because it will leave them without food from an arable harvest and will make them leave the village.
Climax
Walter burns down the Manor House and leaves the village for good. It is now completely empty and there is nobody left to carry out Jordan's instructions or intentions for the future.
Foreshadowing
The discovery of the bloodstained shawl foreshadows the vilification of Mistress Beldam who is blamed for the murder of the horse by the majority of the villagers.
Understatement
Thirske tells us that it is a worrying time when in fact this is an understatement; the villagers are facing starvation and have to move from their homes to another village entirely, which could be considered more severe than something that is merely "worrying."
Allusions
The narrative alludes to the political movement of the time and the recent Inclosure Act. It also refers to the issue of paganism versus Christianity which was coming to a head at the time. Jordan wants to build a church; the majority of the villagers are pagans.
Imagery
The imagery is very bleak and we are able to imagine the endless landscape which is remote and hopeless expanse of a place. We are also encouraged by the author to imagine with all of our senses when it comes to the horror of the punishments meted out to women suspected of witchcraft who are burned at the stake.
Paradox
Master Jordan and Master Kent are intent upon identifying witches and stamping out the traditional paganism of the village yet they encourage an annual festival with a Fairy Queen that is based on a pagan ritual.
Parallelism
There is a parallel between the travelers, who are forced to leave their town because of Inclosure and the fact that there is only sheep farming and no crops growing for them to feed themselves and their families, and the villagers who are facing the same situation thanks to the greedy Master Jordan.
Metonymy and Synecdoche
"The village" is the term used to encompass all of the individuals who live there.
Personification
No examples in this novel
