Genre
Fiction Novel
Setting and Context
The novel is set in 1855 in the fictional town of Barchester, England.
Narrator and Point of View
Third-person narrative
Tone and Mood
Candid, caustic, and tense
Protagonist and Antagonist
The central character is Frank, and the antagonists are his parents.
Major Conflict
There is a major conflict between Frank and his parents. Frank wants to marry for love, but his parents want him to marry for money.
Climax
The climax comes when Frank decides to marry Mary, despite her poverty.
Foreshadowing
Mary’s illegitimacy is foreshadowed by a pregnancy out of wedlock.
Understatement
There is an understatement when Dr. Thorne says Sir Rodger drink alcohol for fun.
Allusions
The story alludes to Sean P. Hoggs’s book “The Bastard Child,” which is a tale of optimism, buoyancy and perseverance of illegitimate children.
Imagery
The description of Mr. Rodger's opulence paints a picture of wealth, influence, and power. After accumulating much wealth from the construction industry, Mr. Rodgers lives like a king in retirement.
Paradox
The main irony is that Frank's parents force him to marry a wealthy woman even if he does not love her. The parents do not care about their son's happiness.
Parallelism
There is a parallelism between Dr. Thorne’s decision to keep Mary’s life a secret and Frank’s decision to marry Mary.
Metonymy and Synecdoche
n/a
Personification
n/a
