Genre
Autobiography
Setting and Context
Russia in the 1890s.
Narrator and Point of View
Peter Kropotkin narrates the book in the first-person.
Tone and Mood
The tone is interesting; the mood is powerful.
Protagonist and Antagonist
Kropotkin is the protagonist; death is the antagonist.
Major Conflict
The major conflict of the book occurs when Kropotkin begins to describe how his education at cadet school influenced his later life.
Climax
The climax of the book is reached when Peter Kropotkin develops his philosophy of anarchy and explains it in detail to the reader.
Foreshadowing
The exile of Kropotkin is foreshadowed by the fact that his ideology was radical.
Understatement
The role of activism is understated throughout the book.
Allusions
The book alludes to the escape of Kropotkin from a prison in Russia.
Imagery
The imagery of suffering and persecution is present in the novel.
Paradox
N/A
Parallelism
There is a parallel between Kropotkin's own beliefs and the actions described in the book.
Metonymy and Synecdoche
N/A
Personification
Kropotkin is personified through the tight handcuffs around his hands.