Genre
Dystopian Fiction
Setting and Context
It is set in a community on the Italian-French border. Additionally, parts of the story are set in England.
Narrator and Point of View
It is narrated in first person from the perspective of the protagonist.
Tone and Mood
The tone is introspective, reflective, and somber. The mood is melancholic, desperate, and hopeful.
Protagonist and Antagonist
The protagonist is the unnamed 29-year-old chef. The antagonist is the ecological devastation.
Major Conflict
The major conflict revolves around the chef's struggle to survive and adapt as an environmental disaster destroys the world and disrupts the culinary world. This conflict drives her to seek a new opportunity in a community at the new colony. It also highlights the tension between her passion for food and the changing reality of her circumstances.
Climax
The climax occurs when the chef begins to discover the secrets of the research community.
Foreshadowing
The mention of the dwindling supplies foreshadows significant disruptions and developments in the chef's culinary journey.
Understatement
The phrase "Hunger was simple, as the rest was not" understates the extent of hunger by implying it is the least complicated aspect of her struggles.
Allusions
The narrative alludes to the issue of climate change that is altering the biodiversity in nature.
Imagery
"I could no longer see a future for the halibut dish without pesto, as I could not fathom the depth of my debt, or the tint of cloudless sky."
This portrays a sense of uncertainty and inability to visualize a positive future.
Paradox
The paradox is in the contrast between the desire for culinary richness and the scarcity of traditional ingredients.
Parallelism
"No olives, no quails, no grapes of the tart green kind for champagne."
This sentence uses a parallel structure to emphasize the lack of produce.
Metonymy and Synecdoche
n/a
Personification
“Dishes winked out of menus”
The phrase personifies the list of food options.
