Where the Wild Things Are

Where the Wild Things Are Literary Elements

Genre

Children's picture book, fantasy

Setting and Context

Max's house in suburban America, and the imaginary land of the wild things

Narrator and Point of View

Third-person narrator

Tone and Mood

Surreal, emotional

Protagonist and Antagonist

Max is the protagonist and his anger is the antagonist.

Major Conflict

When Max's mother sends him to bed without supper, he is forced to bear the consequences of his anger. He faces his emotions head-on in the land of the wild things before coming to a resolution and returning home.

Climax

The climax of the story is the "wild rumpus" that Max and the wild things engage in together. After a night of anger and upset feelings, these scenes, depicted only by illustration, are when Max works through his emotions.

Foreshadowing

N/A

Understatement

N/A

Allusions

N/A

Imagery

The land of the wild things, and the creatures themselves, are depicted with vivid imagery both in text and in illustration.

Paradox

N/A

Parallelism

Max enacts a punishment on the wild things that is parallel to the punishment he receives from his mother. He sends them to bed without dinner after they all engaged in a "wild rumpus."

Metonymy and Synecdoche

N/A

Personification

Max's emotions are personified as the fantastical wild things.

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