The Gay Science Literary Elements

The Gay Science Literary Elements

Genre

Philosophy

Setting and Context

19th Century

Narrator and Point of View

Friedrich Nietzsche

Tone and Mood

Philosophical, contentious, scientific, anti-religion/anti-Christianity, sceptical, and nonconformist

Protagonist and Antagonist

The thinker is the protagonist. Religion is the antagonist.

Major Conflict

Religion versus Science versus Philosophy

Climax

Friedrich Nietzsche’s declaration about God being DEAD.

Foreshadowing

Friedrich Nietzsche predicts that humanity will still believe in religion for millenniums despite religious ideologies' evident and inherent flaws.

Understatement

Friedrich Nietzsche understates the implication of religion in a man’s life.

Allusions

Religious allusions relating to God’s being.
Allusion to Buddhism.

Imagery

Imageries of Buddhism provide gaps that inspire irreligious beliefs. For the sceptics, it is easier to prove the unreality of God than his reality.

Paradox

The madmen’s claim about humanity killing God is paradoxical.

Parallelism

The madman parallels the candle and the sun to make an argument about God's indisputable existence.

Metonymy and Synecdoche

Shadows denote illusions.
Caves denote the lack of enlightenment.

Personification

N/A

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