Genre
Mystery
Setting and Context
Much of the novel takes place in the English village of Woodleigh Common.
Narrator and Point of View
The novel is told from a third-person perspective.
Tone and Mood
The novel's tone is analytical, observant, and lighthearted. It's mood is suspenseful and mysterious.
Protagonist and Antagonist
Hercule Poirot is the novel's protagonist and Rowena Drake and Michael Garfield are the primary antagonists.
Major Conflict
Poirots investigation into Joyce Reynolds' death is the major conflict of the story.
Climax
When Poirot reveals Michael Garfield as Joyce's murderer.
Foreshadowing
Christie's descriptions of Michael Garfield and his work foreshadow Poirot's uncovering his role in the murders.
Understatement
Several characters throughout the novel understate their knowledge of (or involvement in) Joyce's death.
Allusions
There are allusions to other Poirot novels, history, and other literature.
Imagery
Christie paints rich, vivid imagery of Woodleigh Common, the village the novel is set in.
Paradox
Joyce witnesses a murder, one of the most serious crimes a person could commit. However, she paradoxically doesn't realize the significance of what she has witnessed at first.
Parallelism
Not applicable.
Metonymy and Synecdoche
Not applicable.
Personification
Halloween itself is personified in the novel and given human-like characteristics.
