Genre
A short story
Setting and Context
The time of the story refers to the days before Christmas.
Narrator and Point of View
It is third-person type of narration.
Tone and Mood
The tone is sorrow, but with an inclination of warm happiness.
Protagonist and Antagonist
The protagonist of the story is Effie.
Major Conflict
The main conflict of the story is an idea of what a true happiness is, and whether it can be only in the lives of poor or wealthy.
Climax
The climax happens when Effie appears dressed up as a spirit of Christmas.
Foreshadowing
Effie’s mother idea of a present for Effie creates an atmosphere of surprise and expectations.
Understatement
N/A
Allusions
There are allusions to Dickens’ story “A Christmas Carol”, and to a fairy tale about Cinderella.
Imagery
The most vivid image of the story is Effie’s dream.
Paradox
The paradoxical is the thing that a girl who has everything thinks that a poor girl is happier.
Parallelism
The main parallelism of the story is its tie with the Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol”.
Metonymy and Synecdoche
"Darling, wake up, and tell me why you are smiling in your sleep," said a voice in her ear. (‘voice’ is a synecdoche)
Personification
N/A
