Genre
Historical fiction
Setting and Context
Set in the Meadows and New Orleans in the 1850s
Narrator and Point of View
Third-person narrative
Tone and Mood
The tone is solicitous, and the mood is insightful.
Protagonist and Antagonist
The protagonist is Jarret, and the antagonist is Broeck.
Major Conflict
There is a major conflict when Jarret discovers that his horse Darley is about to be sold. Jarret plots to escape with the horse.
Climax
The climax comes when Jarret finally becomes a free man and goes to New York to purchase Lexington’s portrait.
Foreshadowing
Darley’s win in his first horse race competition foreshadowed Jarret’s relocation from the Meadows to New Orleans.
Understatement
Ten Broeck understates Darley as an incompetent young horse.
Allusions
The story alludes to the history of horse racing competitions for the last four successful centuries.
Imagery
The description of Lexington’s portrait with Jarret paints a picture of victory to readers.
Paradox
The main paradox is that May's husband is not mad at Jarret for martyring his wife for the last four years.
Parallelism
n/a
Metonymy and Synecdoche
n/a
Personification
Lexington is personified when it is given heroic human traits.
