Genre
Novel
Setting and Context
Set during World War II
Narrator and Point of View
Third-person narrative
Tone and Mood
Sanguine, sad, buoyant
Protagonist and Antagonist
The central character in the book is Homer Macauley.
Major Conflict
The main conflict is that Homer's father dies, and he is left with the responsibility of protecting his mother and the other two siblings. Homer is still a teenager, and the responsibility of protecting his family is overwhelming.
Climax
The climax is when Marcus's friend Toby comes home safely from the war, and Homer's family accept him as a family member.
Foreshadowing
The acceptance of Toby in Homer's home is foreshadowed by the death of his brother in combat during the war.
Understatement
The impact of WWII is understated. The reader learns that many mothers lost their young sons who participated in the war. Consequently, the misery of losing loved ones is unbearable.
Allusions
The story alludes to the realities of WWII and its impact on families.
Imagery
The images of the small town that Homer lives and works paints a clear picture of the novel’s setting. Through the sense of sight, readers Homer’s job description and how he goes around the small town delivering notes of bad news to different families.
Paradox
The main paradox is when Homer delivers a note of bad news to his mother concerning the death of his brother.
Parallelism
There is parallelism between receiving bad news from families and the fate of the young men taking part in WWII.
Metonymy and Synecdoche
N/A
Personification
War is personified as futile.
