Genre
Satire
Setting and Context
In Boston during Reconstruction (the period after the American Civil War)
Narrator and Point of View
The Bostonians is told from a third-person point of view.
Tone and Mood
The book is tense, romantic, and political.
Protagonist and Antagonist
Basil, Olive, and Verana are the protagonists of the book; feminism is the antagonist of the book.
Major Conflict
The major conflict of the book revolves around the struggle between Ransom and Olive for Verana's love and allegiance.
Climax
Verana and Ransom elope.
Foreshadowing
Verana and Ransom's eventual elopement is foreshadowed by the duo's interactions together while Ransom courted Verana.
Understatement
The strength of Olive and Verana's relationships is understated throughout much of the film because of public sentiment surrounding lesbian relationships at the time the book was written.
Allusions
Allusions are present to the feminist movement in the United States in the 1800s, the geography of Boston, the history of the Civil War and the U.S. more generally, and to the cultural norms and customs of the 1800s.
Imagery
As the relationship between the three main players intensifies, the imagery of music becomes more prevalent.
Paradox
N/A
Parallelism
The path that Ransom and Olive take to win Verana's love and allegiance is paralleled with each other.
Metonymy and Synecdoche
Bostonians is used to refer to Olive and Verena.
Personification
The city of Boston itself is personified throughout much of the book and is given human-like characteristics.
