Genre
Debut Novel
Setting and Context
The book is written in the context of feminism.
Narrator and Point of View
First-person narrative
Tone and Mood
Suspicious, inquisitive, resentful
Protagonist and Antagonist
The protagonists are Gwen, Bess and Aunt Victoria.
Major Conflict
The major conflict is when Gwen's sister gets married. Gwen is worried that she will lose influence over her younger sister because she will be loyal to her husband. Gwen is left lonely and troubled. Gwen has troubled relationships, and she considers herself unlucky in life.
Climax
The climax comes when Gwen finds peace of mind in her shark in the woods.
Foreshadowing
Gwen’s sister wedding foreshadows her loneliness and peace of mind.
Understatement
Parenting is underestimated, as depicted by the biologist. However, raising children is fun and an exciting experience, unlike the biologist's assumptions and perceptions.
Allusions
The short stories allude to troubled relationships, women’s roles and woman empowerment.
Imagery
Charlotte's portrait in 'Bringing Home the Bones' depicts sight imagery because it allows readers to see the story's setting. Color imagery is also evident in 'Celery Fields' when the author writes that the brush stroke paints Georgina.
Paradox
The main paradox is that instead of Gwen being happy and proud of her sister who is getting married, she feels sad and lonely.
Parallelism
The stories in the collection are parallel because they focus on troubled relationships and issues affecting women.
Metonymy and Synecdoche
N/A
Personification
The ‘leg’ in the story “Bringing Home the Bones” is embodied.
