Genre
Satire
Setting and Context
The novel is set on earth and covers a vast span of history.
Narrator and Point of View
The narrator of this novel is third-person but writes from the perspective of Peternip.
Tone and Mood
The tone of the novel is often sombre and thought-provoking. Some have stated the novel is childish in tone.
Protagonist and Antagonist
The protagonist is humanity and the antagonist is the gremlins.
Major Conflict
The main conflict of the novel is between humanity and the gremlins.
Climax
The climax of the novel is when humanity destroys itself through warfare.
Foreshadowing
Dahl's first children's novel called The Gremlins foreshadows the malevolence of these creatures in the adult novel.
Understatement
The gremlins believe that the end of humanity will be a victory for them, however they entirely understate the danger to themselves.
Allusions
The novel alludes to WWII.
Imagery
Imagery is used to describe the nuclear explosions, emphasizing the atomic flash and shockwave, and how hot it is.
Paradox
The gremlins seek to get revenge on humanity but ultimately destroy themselves.
Parallelism
The malevolence of the gremlins is paralleled with the capacity within humans for evil.
Metonymy and Synecdoche
N/A
Personification
N/A
