Genre
Memoir
Setting and Context
Nebraska, US, 1974 - present time
Narrator and Point of View
Roxane Gay
Tone and Mood
Revealing, open
Protagonist and Antagonist
Protagonist: Roxane Gay; Antagonist: Rapists - life
Major Conflict
Roxane Gay was raped when she was 12 years old.
Climax
Gay tries losing weight and finding a purpose in her life.
Foreshadowing
Gay's downward spiral was foreshadowed by the many women before her that were affected by rape.
Understatement
The main understatement in the book is how harmful Gay was to herself, even though she found comfort in it.
Allusions
Gay refers to and alludes to shows like "the biggest loser".
Imagery
The image of Gay eating away her feelings is important.
Paradox
The paradox of weight and how to deal with it is always apparent in the book.
Parallelism
There is a parallel line between Gay and her body, even though she doesn't want to let it be a definite part of her.
Metonymy and Synecdoche
N/A
Personification
Gay's body is personified in itself, as it is not a part of her, but more of a person of its own.