Genre
Novel
Setting and Context
Written in the context of cultural diversity
Narrator and Point of View
Third-person narrative
Tone and Mood
The tone is apprehensive, and the mood is romantic.
Protagonist and Antagonist
The central character in the novel is Niels Lindstedt.
Major Conflict
The main conflict occurs when the imperfect world turns Niels’ dreams into nightmares even after investing all his strength and emotions towards his objectives.
Climax
The climax comes when Niels gets out of prison and finds that Ellen has taken good care of his property. Niels confesses, and Ellen accepts to marry him after reconciling with her past.
Foreshadowing
The jailing of Niels is foreshadowed by his angry decision to marry Vogel, who later turned his dream house into a brothel.
Understatement
Ellen’s love for Niels is understated at first. Deeply, Ellen loves Niels, but she is in conflict with her past, and that is why she initially ignores his proposal.
Allusions
The story alludes to the power of love and romance.
Imagery
The description of Niels's dream home depicts sight imagery.
Paradox
The main paradox is that Vogel turns Niels’s dream house into a night brothel where she entertains different men.
Parallelism
N/A
Metonymy and Synecdoche
Desolation is used as a metonymy for hopelessness.
Personification
The world is personified as imperfect.
