Genre
Fiction
Language
English
Setting and Context
Lower Manhattan, New York City, 1905.
Narrator and Point of View
The story is told from Esther's point of view.
Tone and Mood
Optimistic, hopeful, disappointed, resilient
Protagonist and Antagonist
Esther is the protagonist, and George is the antagonist.
Major Conflict
There is conflict between Esther and George when he wants to go out gambling and drinking all the time.
Climax
After George steals Esther's money she goes back to the boarding house with renewed determination to rebuild her life and continue to chase her dreams.
Foreshadowing
George stealing Esther's life savings foreshadows her necessary return to the boarding house.
Understatement
The way in which George planned his swindling of Esther is understated in that the play implies that he just changed, rather than emphasizing his deliberate plan to con Esther from the very first letter that he wrote.
Allusions
Esther is in love with the Hasidic store owner from whom she buys her fabrics and he feels the same way about her. However, they both know this could never work as a relationship which alludes to the fact that an African American woman and a devout Jewish man could never marry, and would be prohibited from doing to by social pressure.
Imagery
N/A
Paradox
Although Esther has lost everything she does not feel hopeless; she has not lost her skills as a seamstress and she knows that whilst she still has those, she has hope for the future.
Parallelism
There is a parallel between the women at the boarding house leaving to get married and Esther's increased yearning for a relationship of her own.
Personification
N/A
Use of Dramatic Devices
When Esther's client reads George's letters aloud, it is almost as though the audience is being read to as well, making them a fourth wall of sorts within the play.
