Genre
Autobiography
Setting and Context
20th Century
Narrator and Point of View
Dorothy Day is the narrator.
Tone and Mood
Reflective, confessional, faithful, devotional solitary, hopeful, pious
Protagonist and Antagonist
Dorothy Day is the protagonist. Lonesomeness-Antagonist.
Major Conflict
Dorothy Day finding fulfillment despite her solitary life.
Climax
Day’s resolution to immerse in religion (of being a Catholic), at the expense of ordinary family life, after her encounter with Aloysia.
Foreshadowing
The title foreshadows the main theme of a solitary life.
Understatement
N/A
Allusions
Allusion to Catholicism.
Allusion to literary works.
Imagery
The Bible informs Dorothy Day’s ideologies and beliefs.
Paradox
Day's opposition to charity is paradoxical considering that she is a member of a church (Catholic) that endorses acts of charity.
Parallelism
Day parallels the act of loving God to the idea of loving others to underscore the essence of love.
Metonymy and Synecdoche
“Breaking bread” denotes sharing.
Personification
Tradition is personified.
