Genre
Fiction
Setting and Context
Set in Massachusetts Beach, United States of America.
Narrator and Point of View
First-person narrative
Tone and Mood
Contrite, thoughtful, chatty, truthful
Protagonist and Antagonist
The protagonist is Suzanne, and the antagonist is Alan.
Major Conflict
The major conflict is when Suzanne discovers that she lives with a hardened criminal, and she decides to ask for a divorce. Suzanne regrets her complicity with Alan.
Climax
The peak comes when Suzanne comes across the spiritualist whale.
Foreshadowing
Suzanne’s thoughts about peace of mind foreshadow her encounter with the spiritualistic whale.
Understatement
Suzanne understates the sumptuousness Alan gave her when they lived together.
Allusions
The story alludes to cultural realities concerning gifts.
Imagery
Suzanne describes her opulence while living with Alan to paint a picture of a wealthy family.
Paradox
The main paradox is that Suzanne lived with a criminal for several years without knowing.
Parallelism
N/A
Metonymy and Synecdoche
N/A
Personification
The whale is personified as spiritual.
