Killers of the Flower Moon

Killers of the Flower Moon Literary Elements

Genre

Non-fiction, true crime

Setting and Context

The book is set during the 1920s and 2010s in Osage County, Oklahoma

Narrator and Point of View

The book is told primarily from a third-person point of view, however, in its final section, Grann switches to the first person when writing about his experience researching the book. Grann is the narrator of the book.

Tone and Mood

The tone of the book is solemn and dramatic. The mood is ominous and somber.

Protagonist and Antagonist

The protagonist of the book is Mollie Burkhart. The antagonist is William Hale.

Major Conflict

The major conflict of the book is the violence perpetrated against members of the Osage tribe.

Climax

The climax of the book occurs when William Hale is brought to trial for his crimes.

Foreshadowing

William Hale being the mastermind behind the conspiracy to kill members of the Osage tribe is foreshadowed when Grann describes him as a man who seems to have no past.

Understatement

N/A

Allusions

Grann makes numerous references to U.S. history. He also alludes to the William Faulkner novel Absalom, Absalom!, the Shakespeare play Julius Caesar, and the Book of Job from the Bible.

Imagery

N/A

Paradox

N/A

Parallelism

N/A

Metonymy and Synecdoche

N/A

Personification

N/A

Buy Study Guide Cite this page