Genre
Comedy
Language
English
Setting and Context
The action in the play takes place during the 1930s in a small town over the course of a single day.
Narrator and Point of View
Because this is a play, there is no narrator and no point of view since the characters express their views and ideas through their direct dialogue.
Tone and Mood
The tone used in the play is a violent one.
Protagonist and Antagonist
There no protagonists and antagonists in the play since every character is a complex one having both good and bad sides.
Major Conflict
The major conflict is a religious one and is between the Methodist and the Baptist church.
Climax
The play reaches its climax when Jim and Dave begin fighting.
Foreshadowing
The appearance of the mule bone in Act I and the background story it has foreshadows the way in which between the main characters will arise many problems and conflicts.
Understatement
The narrator claims that between Jim and Dave exist some minor problems; this idea is an understatement because it is later proven the two are willing to kill one another just to gain the attention of the woman they loved.
Allusions
While the characters are not distinguished as being black from the beginning of the play, the language they use in combination with the vernacular English present alludes to the idea that all the characters are African American.
Imagery
Another important image is the way in which the characters portray work. For example, the entertaining job Jim and Dave have is not seen by the rest of the characters as being a true job. For them, a job is imagined as being physically draining and something which does not bring a lot of happiness and fulfillment.
Paradox
One of the paradoxical ideas is the way in which the characters trust the judges and the police force even though they used their power and influence to control those weaker than them.
Parallelism
N/A
Personification
We have a personification in Act II, Scene II int the sentence "Even the skies cried for us."
Use of Dramatic Devices
The main dramatic device used in the play is the dramatic monologue. Through these monologues, the author transmits the ideas and feelings of the main characters as well as presenting the historical context in an indirect manner.
