The Years Literary Elements

Novel

The novel is set in 1880 in London in the context of women's empowerment.

Third-person narrative

Depressing, solemn, gloomy, blissful

The protagonist is Eleanor Pargiter.

The major conflict is when Mrs. Pargiter dies surrounded by all her children. Mr. Pargiter is having an extramarital affair, and he leaves all responsibilities of looking after the family to Eleanor, who is in her early twenties.

The climax comes when Delia throws up a family party in her sixties to have the entire Pargiter family celebrate and reflect on the past. The party is a success because every member of the Eleanor family attends. Despite the many challenges each member has gone through, appreciate that life is a journey, and they are all on track.

Eleanor's early family responsibilities in her twenties foreshadowed her single life for the rest of her life.

The Colonel's extramarital affair is understated. When he loses his wife and brother, he realizes that family is important. He returns and gets closer to Eleanor than before.

The story alludes to family life and the significance of empowering a woman to be economically productive.

The images of the Green Park depict sight imagery to readers. According to the narrator, the Park's grass was green, leafy and the branches were clowning like birds. Similarly, the evening before Mrs. Pargiter dies, Delia stands on the window and sees colored flamingos lying in the blue sky.

The main paradox is that Mr. Pargiter leaves his ailing wife to go for a mistress and spends most of his time there. It is satirical for a husband and father to take care of the family to his daughter.

The misery Mrs. Pargiter goes through parallels Eleanor’s singleness for the rest of her life.

N/A

Mrs. Pargiter's death is personified when it gains the ability to bring back the Colonel to be closer to Eleanor and his family.