Genre
Satire
Setting and Context
Gopher Prairie, in Minnesota during the early 20th century
Narrator and Point of View
An unnamed, third-person omniscient narrator.
Tone and Mood
The tone is shocking; the mood is uneasy.
Protagonist and Antagonist
Carol is the protagonist; the ugly town is the antagonist.
Major Conflict
The major conflict of the novel occurs when Carol starts working as a librarian at a library in Minnesota's capital.
Climax
The climax of the story is reached when meets Will, who is a doctor, and they fall in love and get married to each other.
Foreshadowing
The move to Sopher Prairie is foreshadowed by the fact that it is Will's home town.
Understatement
The importance of pleasure is understated throughout the novel.
Allusions
The story alludes to the political unrest during the First World War.
Imagery
The imagery of rural towns is present in the novel.
Paradox
The fact that Will should care for his wife, yet only focuses on himself is an example of paradox in the story.
Parallelism
N/A
Metonymy and Synecdoche
The women's club is a metonym for the freedom that Carol desires.
Personification
N/A
