Picnic at Hanging Rock

Picnic at Hanging Rock Literary Elements

Genre

Historical fiction

Setting and Context

The novel takes place in Macedon, Australia in 1900.

Narrator and Point of View

The novel is narrated by an unnamed, omniscient third-person narrator. The narrator gives access to the characters' thoughts in different moments. Letters, testimonials, and newspaper clippings are also included in the text.

Tone and Mood

The tone of the novel is somber and dark. The mood is dreamlike and eerie.

Protagonist and Antagonist

There is no protagonist. Mrs. Appleyard is the antagonist of the novel.

Major Conflict

The major conflict of the novel is the mystery surrounding Hanging Rock and the unsolved disappearance of several students and a teacher.

Climax

The climax of the novel occurs when Mrs. Appleyard throws herself off a cliff.

Foreshadowing

Sara's death is foreshadowed when she does not take her oval frame.

Understatement

N/A

Allusions

There are allusions to the poem "The Wreck of Hesperus," the historical narrative of Saint Valentine, and the real geological site known as Hanging Rock.

Imagery

N/A

Paradox

N/A

Parallelism

There is parallelism between Sara and Mrs. Appleyard, as they are both driven to suicide by the events at Hanging Rock.

Metonymy and Synecdoche

N/A

Personification

N/A

Buy Study Guide Cite this page