Genre
Eastern philosophy
Setting and Context
There is no specific setting as the book deals with theory rather than a specific time, place, or situation.
Narrator and Point of View
The narrator is the author of the book and he speaks from the point of view of the warlord who wants to be successful.
Tone and Mood
The tone is positive and inspirational; the mood is thoughtful and intelligent.
Protagonist and Antagonist
The protagonist is the warlord and the antagonists are his enemies.
Major Conflict
The book is about war but mentions no specific conflict. Instead it deals with the theoretical side of conflict, its importance, and the best way in which to win it.
Climax
There is no climax in the traditional sense; however, the climax of the book would be the end chapters about running an actual campaign because each of the chapters has built up to this and offered a step-by-step guide to getting to the point at which a successful campaign can be run.
Foreshadowing
Lack of planning foreshadows a defeat.
Understatement
N/A
Allusions
N/A
Imagery
The imagery is all rather militaristic and textbook rather than playing to our imagination. We are encouraged to picture scenarios in which a war is being waged or the way an army may appear to the enemy, but we are not encouraged to use our imagination or our senses to envision anything that the author is describing.
Paradox
The book is about war but many of the moves made by the successful warlord are actually peaceful.
Parallelism
There is a parallel between the planning and thought put into the act of going to war and the success of the warlord and the campaign.
Metonymy and Synecdoche
"Warlord" is a term that the author uses to represent all successful military generals rather than listing them by name or using their individual successes as examples.
Personification
The author personifies war in that it seems to be an entity that is separated from actual campaigns. It is personified in that it is given power and the gift of strategizing itself.
