Swiftly Tilting Planet Literary Elements

Swiftly Tilting Planet Literary Elements

Genre

sci-fi, fantasy

Setting and Context

America, past during the first contacts with Native Americans, New England, South America

Narrator and Point of View

Narrator: omniscient;
Point of view: third person

Tone and Mood

Adventurous, suspenseful

Protagonist and Antagonist

Protagonist: Charles Wallace, Antagonist: the president of Vespugia, Mad Dog Branzillo

Major Conflict

Charles Wallace and his family receive news during a Thanksgiving dinner that the world is under a threat of a nuclear war by a leader of Vespugia called Branzillo. Mrs. O'Keefe arrives, and she chants an ancient Irish prayer and urges Charles Wallace to set off on the time-travelling journey to prevent the disaster from happening.

Climax

Charles Wallace manages to change the course of history while "within" the writer Matthew Maddox. He prevents Gwydyr's bloodline from ruling the Vespugia, and Branzillo changes to being a descendant of Madoc instead. Back at the present, the family receives news that Branzillo is a peace and earth-loving president.

Foreshadowing

Branzillo's name foreshadows his connection to the past. His name contains the main clue, a combination of the names Bran and Zillah.

Understatement

N/A

Allusions

Allusions to the colonization of America, allusions to Christianity, Salem Witch Trials, etc.

Imagery

The old Irish prayer:
"Lords of melody and song,
Lords of roses burning bright,
Blue will right the ancient wrong,
Though the way is dark and long,
Blue will shine with loving light."

Paradox

"Strength can always be used to destroy as well as create."

Parallelism

"There's something wrong with the weather. There's something wrong."

Metonymy and Synecdoche

"El Rabioso. That's his nickname. Mad Dog Branzillo."

Personification

"Sometimes in the spring, Meg thought she could hear the grass grow. In the autumn, the tree toads sang back and forth as thought they couldn't bear to let the joys of summer pass."

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