Genre
A novel
Setting and Context
The actions take place in Norhern England, at the beginning of the 19th century
Narrator and Point of View
Third-person narration
Tone and Mood
The mood and tone are very peaceful, except for revolts of the workers, and Caroline’s illness when the atmosphere is intense
Protagonist and Antagonist
The protagonists are Shirley, Caroline, Robert Moore and the most of the other central characters, and the antagonists are those workers who broke Robert’s machines at the factory
Major Conflict
The main conflict resides more in social problems than in personal. The love lives of both Shirley and Caroline seem to problematic, but unemployment, war, and some other social factors are the main issues.
Climax
The climax comes when Robert is dangerously wounded, and Caroline comes to him then finally told each other about their feelings. At the same time, Shirley opened up her heart to her beloved Louis, and he also declared his love to her.
Foreshadowing
Continuing revolts of local people foreshadow that something bad might happen, add it happens – Robert is seriously wounded during one of the encounters.
Understatement
The importance of technological revolution is understated; the author’s sympathy is more with the people who suffer because of it. However, in the future the development of technologies proved to be beneficial.
Allusions
The novel alludes to the wars with Napoleon, and to the economical crisis in England at that time..
Imagery
Imagery is widely used in nature descriptions, and in characters portrayals; this is characteristic to literature of those times
Paradox
N/A
Parallelism
Shirley’s and Caroline’s loves develop parallel to each other, and to the rest events of the story.
Metonymy and Synecdoche
N/A
Personification
“cloudlets sailed afar and aloft across the sky”
