Stranger in a Strange Land Literary Elements

Science Fiction, Novel, Religious Satire.

The setting of the novel is 1960 England and it has been written in the context of religious exploitation.

The story has been narrated from the point of view of different characters in the first person narration.

Pensive, Satirical, Prophetic, Scientific, Fictitious.

The protagonist of the novel is Michael Smith, who is also called Mike. He is an earthling, who was born at Mars. After coming to earth, he realizes how people are exploited in the name of religious so he devises a new religion which benefits human beings and promotes happiness. The antagonists in the book are the conservative critics who plans to kill Mike because of his liberal ideas about religion.

The major conflict in the novel is between Mike and the Evangelical church. Mike formulated a liberal version of religion, which promoted open-mindedness and happiness. The conservative critics tried to halt his efforts and murdered him.

The climax in the story comes when Mike lays the foundation of the church of all words.

The Church of all words foreshadows the public display of immoral values, free love movement, rejection of orthodox religious ideals and many other movements which became prevalent in the late 20th century.

The author has understated the ideology of understanding things deeply on both philosophical and spiritual level and this religious and cultural concept has been propounded through the word 'Grok.'

There are allusions to Christianity, Christ, Evangelical Church, orthodox religion, Liberalism, science, aliens, Martian life, religious riots , conspiracy space travel, magic, death and afterlife.

The book conveys the images of life in Mars, Mike's trial and his death. It also portrays the religious conflicts and the hypocrisy of the church. The author has portrayed Mike as a Savior like Christ who comes and saves humanity from the exploitation. There are alos images of Mike in the afterlife where he is converted into an archangel.

The paradox in the story is that Mike works for the betterment of human beings and try to resolve their conflicts regarding religion and its institutions but he is killed just because he does not follow the societal codes of American society. Another paradox in the novel is that Mike is treated as a person who is corrupting religion but after his murder, he is converted into an archangel for dying as a martyr prophet. The treatment of Mike on earth, as an alien is also paradoxical because although he was born on Mars but he was not a martian, he was an earthling. He is treated as an alien on Mars and again as an alien on earth.

There is a parallelism between the magical characteristics of Mike and other human beings, As he uses his magical tricks, he makes others aware of their own magical qualities. He demonstrates that everyone possess those traits but they do not try to find them.

An example of metonymy is Mike who represents all the people, who wants to live a free life without any societal codes or morals. An example of synecdoche is 'the church of all words', which alludes towards the religion of liberals.

Religion, faith, and the church have been personified in the novel.