The Golden Bough Literary Elements

The Golden Bough Literary Elements

Genre

Religion and Anthropology

Setting and Context

The setting is either abstract and theoretical, or relating to Aricia, Italy, in pre-Christian times

Narrator and Point of View

The narrator is the author and he writes from his own perspective since it is his own journey of discovery that he is writing about

Tone and Mood

Seeking knowledge

Protagonist and Antagonist

The author is the protagonist and the knowledge that alludes him the antagonist

Major Conflict

When someone wants to be the priest they challenge the current priest and they fight to the death. This means that there is constantly conflict because many challenge for the position

Climax

The climax of the book is Frazer's own feeling that he has found the knowledge and understanding that he was seeking

Foreshadowing

A challenge made to the priest foreshadows his likely death as in order to become priest the challenger must kill him first.

Understatement

The author calls the fight to become priest "gruesome" but this is an understatement because the battles were battles to the bloodiest of deaths.

Allusions

The writer alludes to the ancient myths and legends of many different cultures that all have a similarity to them.

Imagery

The most vivid pictures that the author paints for the reader are the scenes of the would-be priest attacking the current one and the bloody fight that follows.

Paradox

Magicians in the earliest times used their magic mostly for the benefit of their own family, which is paradoxical because religion was intended to bring more people to belief, and by practicing independently they are not really "briber f religion"

Parallelism

There is a parallel between believing in a higher power but not forcing a personal relationship with them, and appearing to be having a relationship with the higher power but in reality going through the motions for appearances. Neither is religion.

Metonymy and Synecdoche

Pagans is the term used to describe many different kind of pre-Christian people who believe in higher powers.

Personification

No specific examples

Update this section!

You can help us out by revising, improving and updating this section.

Update this section

After you claim a section you’ll have 24 hours to send in a draft. An editor will review the submission and either publish your submission or provide feedback.

Cite this page