Genre
Fiction
Setting and Context
The action takes place in a small town in Norway in the 1990s.
Narrator and Point of View
The novel is told from a subjective narrator from a third person point of view.
Tone and Mood
Lighthearted, comic
Protagonist and Antagonist
The major conflict is an internal one and is the result of Sophie’s desire to find more about philosophy and her fear of being ridiculed by those around her because of her interest in the subject.
Major Conflict
The story reaches its climax when Sophie and Alberto meet face to face.
Climax
When a do begins to bring Sophie the letters instead the philosopher, she is puzzled and amazed by this fact. The dog’s name however foreshadows the direction in which the following letters will go.
Foreshadowing
When a do begins to bring Sophie the letters instead the philosopher, she is puzzled and amazed by this fact. The dog’s name however foreshadows the direction in which the following letters will go.
Understatement
When Sophie claims that things feel ‘’weird’’ is an understatement as it is later proven that she was just a fictional character in a book within a book.
Allusions
One of the things alluded in the novel is the idea that humans, once they grow up, lose the ability to notice the extraordinary things that happen all around them. Instead, they get so preoccupied with other less important things that they ignore completely the magical things that take place in their lives.
Imagery
The lake is an important element in the novel because of what it symbolizes and because it is an important imagery. The lake is described as being a large body of water which Sophie must pass in order to reach the cabin. The lake is important because it is a visual representation of the things Sophie must overcome in order to fulfill her education and grow as a person.
Paradox
N/A
Parallelism
The author draws a parallel between Hilde and Sophie. While Hilde was a real girl, Sophie was the author’s invention to help Hilde learn more about philosophy. But Sophie is given the same age as Hilde and they also share similar characteristics, such as their thirst for knowledge and their desire to learn more about philosophy.
Metonymy and Synecdoche
N/A
Personification
In chapter 12 ''healthy forests and a pure environment were more valuable than getting to work quickly.''
