Genre
Fictional biography
Setting and Context
The action takes place in a little unnamed village in Mexico over the course of a few years.
Narrator and Point of View
The action is told from the perspective of a third-person objective point of view.
Tone and Mood
The tone and mood is a violent one.
Protagonist and Antagonist
The protagonist is Ernesto and the antagonists are the secret police.
Major Conflict
The major conflict is a political one and is between the Mexican government and the revolutionaries.
Climax
The story reaches its climax when Ernesto's mother passes away.
Foreshadowing
The presence of the secret police in the little village in which Ernesto lived foreshadows the violent demonstrations which will later be described in the book.
Understatement
After Ernesto's mother dies, the young man starts working as many jobs as possible to earn money. During that time, Ernesto claims that he no longer needs to go to school since it will not do him any good. This is later proven to be an understatement and even Ernesto agrees that getting an education is extremely important.
Allusions
The main allusion presented here is the idea that one does not need to be rich in order to be happy. The most important thing a person should desire to have is the love and support of their family and friends.
Imagery
One of the most important images is that of the labor camp in which Ernesto ended up working. This image is extremely important because it shows the lengths to which an immigrant would be willing to go just to ensure he has enough food and a roof over his head and his family's.
Paradox
N/A
Parallelism
A parallel is drawn between Ernesto and the white children living in the same neighborhood as him. While the white children are always described as happy and carefree, Ernesto always seems to be on edge. This parallel is an important one because it shows just how much the events which took place in Mexico affected the young boy.
Metonymy and Synecdoche
Money is used in the book as a general term through which the narrator makes reference to the idea of stability and comfort.
Personification
We have a personification in the sentence "the leaves were watching them as they passed through the forest."
