Genre
Fantasy, Fiction novel, Adventure novel
Setting and Context
1931 and some years later; Berlin, Germany.
Narrator and Point of View
The frame story is the first-person narration and the second one – third-person narration. But both of them show the main character “under the microscope”: all his feelings, thoughts and emotions.
Tone and Mood
The tone of the story is mostly neutral, but it doesn’t prevent the mood of the story from being magic, interesting and breathtaking.
Protagonist and Antagonist
The protagonists of this story are Conway and his friends, and the antagonists are the land of Shangri-La and its inhabitants. There are no any evident fights between them, but the reader understands that these protagonists fight against the concepts which are held in this land, they cannot put up with the happiness of its people.
Major Conflict
The major conflict takes place between Conway and his friends and Shangri-La, its philosophy, culture and mentality.
Climax
The story has two climaxes: the first is when the four lands in the wilderness near Shangri-La and the second one – when they escape from this land.
Foreshadowing
Here the author shows the reader completely different values which a man may have: there is no place for money, fame and pursuing of time in Shangri-La. Instead of these, “true-European” values, they appreciate harmony of their souls, nature, their independence from the darkness of other people.
Understatement
The author often uses this method, such as there: “And it is possible that I may still have a few moments left to me - or even, for that matter, a few years.” Here the High Lama shows how unimportant measuring of time is for him.
Allusions
The author often quotes Shakespeare: “Sleep knits up the raveled sleeve of care.”, “She makes hungry where she most satisfies (about Cleopatra).” Also he cites Chopin, other musicians in his story.
Imagery
See the Imagery Section
Paradox
The author uses this method rarely, such as: “in some danger of becoming ludicrous”, “comically dreadful” etc.
Parallelism
The events of the frame story and the main story are depicted in parallel: Conway’s, the main hero’s of the inner story, life is closely connected and interlaced with Rutherford’s, the hero’s of the outer story, life.
Metonymy and Synecdoche
The author rarely uses this method. Though, for example, there is such one as: “Florio's translation of Montaigne”. Of course, Florio didn’t translate Montaine, he translated one of his books.
Personification
N/A
