Genre
Novel
Setting and Context
Set in Louisiana on Marshall Plantation
Narrator and Point of View
Third-person narrative
Tone and Mood
Sad, optimistic, disheartening
Protagonist and Antagonist
The central character is Mathu.
Major Conflict
The main conflict is that Beau Baton is killed, and the actual killer is Mathu.
Climax
The climax comes when Charlie shows up before Mathu is executed and confesses that he is the one who killed Beaton and asks Mathu to take the claim. Since Charlie is also a black man, he is shot, and the trial awaits Mathu.
Foreshadowing
The murder of Beaton, who is a white plantation boss, is foreshadowed by the rampant racism against the Black Americans who are ready to take revenge using all means.
Understatement
The murder investigation by Sheriff is understated. It is illogical to arrest Mathu when everyone else is claiming to be the actual killer of Beaton.
Allusions
The story alludes to racism against black Americans and their optimism for revenge.
Imagery
The imagery of murder depicts sight imagery because it aids readers to see Beaton's body lying outside Mathu's house, suspected as the main killer.
Paradox
The main paradox is that eighteen older men have gathered in Mathu's house with their short guns, each claiming to be the actual killer of Bean Baton.
Parallelism
There is parallelism between the older men's confession that they are the actual killers and the Sheriff's perception.
Metonymy and Synecdoche
N/A
Personification
Racism is personified as brutal.
