Genre
Historical fiction novel
Setting and Context
The book is set in Germany during World War II.
Narrator and Point of View
First-person narrative
Tone and Mood
The tone is dispassionate, and the mood is reflective.
Protagonist and Antagonist
Clifford Pepperidge is the protagonist of the book.
Major Conflict
The main conflict is when Pepperidge is arrested by the Nazis for homosexuality charges and sent to a concentration camp in Dachau.
Climax
The climax comes when the police officers in the concentration camps realize that their actions are evil and might end up judged for crimes against humanity.
Foreshadowing
Homosexual behavior foreshadowed Clifford's arrest.
Understatement
The Nazi atrocities are understated in the text. Besides putting Jews and other critics in concentration camps, the regime killed people and destroyed properties of those who opposed its rule.
Allusions
The story alludes to the atrocities committed by the Nazi regime to innocent citizens.
Imagery
The concentration camp’s imagery depicts sight enabling readers to see the evils that took place there. For instance, the detainees were subjected to harsh conditions which endangered their lives.
Paradox
The main paradox is that the Nazi regime has total disregard for human well-being. The regime purports that its intention is bringing order, but it does the contrary.
Parallelism
N/A
Metonymy and Synecdoche
N/A
Personification
The Nazi regime is personified as inhumane.
