Life in the Iron Mills Literary Elements

Life in the Iron Mills Literary Elements

Genre

Short story

Setting and Context

America in the nineteenth century

Narrator and Point of View

An omniscient, but middle-class narrator,

Tone and Mood

The tone is dramatic; the mood is powerful.

Protagonist and Antagonist

Deborah is the protagonist; Clarke is the antagonist.

Major Conflict

The major conflict of the book occurs when Deborah steals Mitchell's wallet.

Climax

The climax of the book is reached when Dr May discovers that Wolfe has been sent to prison for theft.

Foreshadowing

Hugh's suicide is foreshadowed by his poor mental health.

Understatement

The impact of honesty is understated throughout the book.

Allusions

The book alludes to the many struggles of workers in iron mills at the time.

Imagery

The imagery of repression is present in the book, particularly through the grim conditions in the mines.

Paradox

N/A

Parallelism

There is a parallel between Wolfe's selfishness and his feeling of isolation.

Metonymy and Synecdoche

N/A

Personification

The injustice experienced by the workers is personified through the strange statue.

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