Genre
Coming of age novel
Setting and Context
The action described in the novel takes place during present time in a place names Coconut Grove.
Narrator and Point of View
The action in the novel 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 the endangered owl and the antagonists are the ones trying to destroy its habitat.
Major Conflict
The major conflict is between destruction and preservation.
Climax
The action reaches its climax when Carl learns about the endangered owls.
Foreshadowing
The scene at the beginning of the novel in which the narrator described how Roy is bullied on the school bus is used to foreshadow the idea that Roy has difficulties being accepted by other people his age.
Understatement
At the beginning of the story, the narrator claims that the boy running barefoot poses no danger. This is later proven to be an understatement when the narrator reveals that the young boy was involved in various violent altercations.
Allusions
One of the main allusions we find here is the idea that children notice a large number of things that adults often overlook.
Imagery
One of the most important images is that of the three children in the hospital lobby, neither willing to give up the identity of their comrades. This image is important because it shows just how close the children were and how important it was for them to know that they can trust one another.
Paradox
One of the main paradoxes in the story is the fact that even though Roy is scared f Dana, he does not hesitate to punch him when he has the occasion.
Parallelism
N/A
Metonymy and Synecdoche
The school Roy goes to is used here as a general term to make reference to the problems children have to face.
Personification
We have a personification in the sentence “the bird’s wings cut through the air with a big woosh”.
