The Changeling Literary Elements

The Changeling Literary Elements

Genre

Fantasy/horror

Setting and Context

The novel is largely set in modern-day New York City across its many boroughs.

Narrator and Point of View

The novel is told from a third-person perspective.

Tone and Mood

The tone is suspenseful and eerie. The mood is unsettling and horrifying.

Protagonist and Antagonist

Apollo Kagwa is the novel's protagonist; the supernatural entities that oppose Apollo are the novel's protagonist.

Major Conflict

The major conflict of the novel revolves around Apollo's attempts to piece together what happened to his wife and his life after she commits an act of violence.

Climax

When Apollo confronts the ancient, troll-like creature that likes to kidnap kids.

Foreshadowing

Emma eventually getting over her post-partum depression is foreshadowed early on in the book.

Understatement

The severity of the horror of the kidnapping of the kids is understated throughout the start of the novel.

Allusions

There are allusions to myths, folktales, and literary works.

Imagery

LaValle employs rich imagery to describe the rare books Apollo deals with.

Paradox

Apollo's love for his children paradoxically lead to him betraying people he claimed to love.

Parallelism

n/a

Metonymy and Synecdoche

n/a

Personification

New York City itself is personified throughout the novel.

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