Genre
A short story
Setting and Context
The actions of the story take place in the toen of Berlevaag, Norway; the time is the end of the 18th century.
Narrator and Point of View
Third-person narration
Tone and Mood
The tone and mood of the story are even and monotonous, yet closer to the end it acquires more comic and ironic features.
Protagonist and Antagonist
The protagonist is Babette and two sisters; the antagonist is not set.
Major Conflict
The conflict of the story is in presenting life situations in their complete ambiguity and truthfulness at the same time.
Climax
The climax comes when Babette says that she has no money left, as has spent all 10 thousand francs on the birthday dinner for the old clergyman.
Foreshadowing
The fact that the sisters are poor but have a servant in their house foreshadows that there is some story behind the scene, as it later turns out there was a secret.
Understatement
N/A
Allusions
There are allusions to Mozart’s opera Don Giovanni, to Civil war in France.
Imagery
See the imagery section
Paradox
N/A
Parallelism
The events of today and of fifteen years ago are depicted in parallels.
Metonymy and Synecdoche
“Lorens said good-bye to the party” (the party is a metonymy for people)
“Civil war has raged in our streets” (Civil war is a synecdoche for people)
Personification
“As the birthday drew nearer, Martine and Philippa felt the responsibility growing heavier.”
“The congratulations died on their lips”
