Genre
Religious novel
Setting and Context
The book is set in Raymond Town.
Narrator and Point of View
Third-person narrative
Tone and Mood
The tone is curious, and the mood is admiring.
Protagonist and Antagonist
The main character is Reverend Henry Maxwell.
Major Conflict
The major conflict surrounds the question of what Jesus can do. Ideally, Reverend Henry preaches a gospel of hope and prosperity, but his following is still stuck on the question 'What Jesus can do?'
Climax
The climax is the realization that the people of Raymond town are welcoming, religious and appreciative. Therefore, they believe that they must do good before Jesus answers their question.
Foreshadowing
The spiritual life of Reverend Henry and his family was foreshadowed by the appearance of Jack Manning, who gave them a meaning to live religiously.
Understatement
Religious life is understated because it is not only about worshipping and following God's laws. Religion is also about serving humanity and helping the homeless.
Allusions
The story alludes to holy living and observing the doctrines of Christianity.
Imagery
The imagery of the church depicts sight, which enables readers to see the spiritual development in the town of Raymond.
Paradox
The main paradox is that the community of Raymond is persecutory despite being depicted as religious. When Manning shows up, the community is not ready to accept him. Therefore, it is satirical that people claim to be holy but fail to show kindness to fellow human beings.
Parallelism
N/A
Metonymy and Synecdoche
Jesus is a metonymy for salivation and eternity.
Personification
The church is personified as sacred.