Genre
Fiction
Setting and Context
The action takes place in the 1600s in what is now known as Salem.
Narrator and Point of View
The story is told from the perspective of a third-person subjective point of view.
Tone and Mood
The tone and mood is a neutral one.
Protagonist and Antagonist
The protagonist is Mary and the antagonists are the white settlers.
Major Conflict
The major conflict is between a person's desire to follow their dreams and the influence which may come from the outside.
Climax
The story reaches its climax when Mary and her lover are reunited.
Foreshadowing
The novel begins with the description of the destruction caused by the white settlers in the area that was originally populated only by native Americans. This description foreshadows the later instances in which the lives of the Native Americans will be affected by the presence of the white settlers.
Understatement
When Mary is told that her lover is dead is an understatement because it is later revealed that he was only taken as prisoner.
Allusions
One of the main allusions is the idea that if a person has a good intention, it does not matter how others perceive their actions. As such, the narrator is quick to forgive various immoral actions just because the intention was a good one.
Imagery
N/A
Paradox
One of the most paradoxical ideas is the way in which Mary does everything she can to stay as close to Hobomok even though she does not love him and is even afraid of him.
Parallelism
A parallel is drawn between Hobomok and Charles, the two men competing for Mary's attention. This parallel is an important one because it is used to show the difference between the two men and to argue the reason why Mary chose Charles and not Hobomok.
Metonymy and Synecdoche
The forest is used here as a general term to make reference to the idea of the connection people have with nature.
Personification
We have a personification in the sentence "the wind howled and destroyed everything in its path".
