The African Queen Literary Elements

The African Queen Literary Elements

Director

John Huston

Leading Actors/Actresses

Humphrey Bogart, Katharine Hepburn

Supporting Actors/Actresses

Robert Morley

Genre

Adventure, Drama, Romance

Language

English

Awards

Won Oscar for Best Actor in a Leading Role - Humphrey Bogart

Date of Release

1951

Producer

Sam Spiegel

Setting and Context

Africa during World War I

Narrator and Point of View

POV is that of Rose and Charlie

Tone and Mood

Serious and Dramatic with Romance and Danger

Protagonist and Antagonist

Protagonists are Rose and Charlie. Antagonist is the German Army

Major Conflict

German soldiers burn down the village where Rose and her brother Samuel have come to minister to the people. Shortly after Samuel dies, Charlie and Rose seek to sink a German ship in order to join the war and fight the enemy

Climax

Charlie and Rose are captured by the Germans and set to be hanged. They are married by the ship's captain prior to their sentence. Soon after the German ship hits their capsized boat with the homemade torpedoes and sinks before the Germans can kill them.

Foreshadowing

The German soldiers burning down the village foreshadow the revenge that Rose will seek in order to avenge her brother and the people she serves.

Understatement

The danger on the river is understated.

Innovations in Filming or Lighting or Camera Techniques

n/a

Allusions

The film is an allusion to the fight that many missionaries have all over the world of having to protect the people they are serving from a military force that seeks to destroy them.

Paradox

Rose is a missionary, but seeks to destroy a German ship and all of the men on it.

Parallelism

The steam whistle upon Charlie's second entry to the village parallels the whistle when we first meet him.

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