Genre
French Novel
Setting and Context
France in the early 20th Century
Narrator and Point of View
The novel is written from Colette's perspective
Tone and Mood
The tone is philosophical and thoughtful, sometimes cynical.
Protagonist and Antagonist
The protagonist is Colette, while the antagonist is traditional and dogmatic views about gender and sexuality.
Major Conflict
The major conflict, according to Colette, is the conflict between people's true desires and what is expected of them.
Climax
As a collection of case studies, there are a number of climaxes in the text depending on the character being focused on.
Foreshadowing
N/A
Understatement
Colette argues that society understates the depth of human desire.
Allusions
Alludes to the historical figure Don Juan
Imagery
Colette uses imagery to describe everything from language, to characters and the weather.
Paradox
N/A
Parallelism
This story is considered by Colette to be the closest thing to an autobiography she has ever written. As we might expect, there are many parallels with her own life.
Metonymy and Synecdoche
Colette uses the term "body" to mean sexual and carnal desires.
Personification
Jealousy is personified in the text.
