Genre
Modernist novel
Setting and Context
London, and then South America.
Narrator and Point of View
The narrator is omniscient but knows the inner thoughts of the characters.
Tone and Mood
The tone of the novel is philosophical and sometimes nihilistic.
Protagonist and Antagonist
The protagonist is Rachel, and to an extent the antagonist is Mr. Hirst.
Major Conflict
The major conflict of the text is between intellect and emotion.
Climax
The climax of the novel is Rachel's death.
Foreshadowing
The effect of Rachel's piano playing on Helen is foreshadowed by the assertion at the beginning of the novel that people don't express the truth, and "that was what music was for."
Understatement
Helen understates the importance of emotional intelligence.
Allusions
The text alludes to various places in London, such as the Strand and Westminster.
Imagery
At the beginning of the text, Woolf uses imagery to describe London, from the weather to the different colors of the river.
Paradox
A paradox is implied in the following statement: “It is impossible for human beings, constituted as they are, both to fight and to have ideals.”
Parallelism
Helen and Rachel are paralleled for their respective dependence on intellect and emotions.
Metonymy and Synecdoche
N/A
Personification
The ship is personified in the following passage: "the steady heart of the Euphrosyne slowly ceased to beat."
