Genre
Science fiction
Setting and Context
It is set in the 1960s in the United States of America.
Narrator and Point of View
Third-person narrative
Tone and Mood
The tone is tragic, and the mood is anxious.
Protagonist and Antagonist
The central character is Donald Keene, and the Antagonist is Anna Thurman.
Major Conflict
The major conflict is between Donald and Ann, who trap him into doing a project that makes him regret the rest of his life.
Climax
The climax comes when Donald stops using propranolol, regains his memory, and discovers the manipulative nature of the initiators of the silos project.
Foreshadowing
The explosion of the bomb foreshadowed Donald's loss of mind for several decades to come.
Understatement
Donald trivializes the influence of the propranolol drug the first time he takes it when he says it is harmless.
Allusions
n/a
Imagery
There is imagery in the statement, "Plastic, glass, and metal beat out a rhythmless tune." This statement appeals to the sense of hearing to readers.
Paradox
There is a verbal irony when Senator Thurman tells Donald that the purpose of the silos is to store used nuclear fuel. Senator Thurman knows he is lying because the purpose of the silos is to manipulate the human population.
Parallelism
There is a parallelism in the third plotline where Solo says she is suspicious of the purpose of silo 17, and Donald is suspicious of the intention of the silos when he regains his memory.
Metonymy and Synecdoche
The term "White House" in Washington, where the Congress takes place, is a metonymy for the president and his advisors.
Personification
n/a
