Genre
Fictional novel
Setting and Context
Argelouse, Landes, south-west France, 1920's
Narrator and Point of View
Thérèse Desqueyroux
Tone and Mood
Depressed, distressed
Protagonist and Antagonist
Protagonist: Thérèse Desqueyroux; Antagonist: Bernard
Major Conflict
Thérèse Desqueyroux tried poisoning her husband, and now he is keeping her captive in an isolated house.
Climax
Thérèse Desqueyroux is set free after Anne's wedding celebration in Paris.
Foreshadowing
When Bernard defends Thérèse in court, Thérèse's thought process foreshadows that Bernard might let her go towards the ending of the book, though it doesn't reveal that Bernard will keep her locked away.
Understatement
Thérèse’s hate for her husband is understated, as even though she tried killing him, she tries to tell herself she loves him.
Allusions
The reader might have allusions to other texts that are approach feminism during the 1920's.
Imagery
The image of Thérèse Desqueyroux shriveling up in the cabin, while her husband Bernard is unfazed, is important, as it shows how she is treated without anyone coming to help her.
Paradox
"Murder can be justified" is a paradox discussed in the book. The first part of the book is only spent inside Thérèse Desqueyroux's head in a long monologue, where she explains why she decided to poison her husband, trying to justify herself.
Parallelism
Parallels can be drawn between Thérèse Desqueyroux and her husband Bernard, as they are a lot more similar than they care to admit. We get knowledge of both their thought patterns, and how they react.
Metonymy and Synecdoche
N/A
Personification
N/A
