Genre
Horror fiction
Setting and Context
20th Century America in a small parish.
Narrator and Point of View
This text is told with 3rd person narration. The narrator knows Gregory's thoughts and feelings.
Tone and Mood
The tone of the novel is sombre and frightening.
Protagonist and Antagonist
The protagonist is Gregory, and the antagonist is various forms of societal corruption.
Major Conflict
The major conflict is the fact Susan is thought to be possessed.
Climax
The climax of the text is when Susan is exorcised.
Foreshadowing
In the first chapter, Gregory's music takes a sinister turn in the second movement, which represents the disturbance Susan will cause.
Understatement
When Gregory is told about Susan's case he smiles and seriously understates her condition.
Allusions
There are allusions to various composers as Gregory is looking for music in the first chapter.
Imagery
In this text, there is much imagery surrounding the possession and exorcism of Susan. Many of these tropes would be used in popular horror books and films years later.
Paradox
Gregory believes in God but paradoxically does not believe in the existence of the devil.
Parallelism
Gregory's beliefs and Susan's father's beliefs are often paralleled and contrasted in the text.
Metonymy and Synecdoche
N/A
Personification
N/A
