Genre
Fictional novel
Setting and Context
The novel is set in a military boarding school in Hrance (Contemporary-day Czech Republic).
Narrator and Point of View
Third-person narrative
Tone and Mood
The tone is awestruck, and the mood is insightful.
Protagonist and Antagonist
Torless is the main character in the novel.
Major Conflict
The main conflict is that Torless is in disagreement with his sexuality and identity. Torless believes that he is homosexual because he does not have feelings for the opposite sex. His feelings strongly conflict with the societal standards of morality.
Climax
The climax is when Torless participates in raping Basin, a fellow male student who stole from him and his two friends. Finally, Torless proves to himself that his sexual preference is homosexuality.
Foreshadowing
The end of Torless theatrical adventure in the boarding school is foreshadowed by his decision to dehumanize Basini.
Understatement
Torless's parents understate his behavior. Despite knowing that he disagrees with them in most aspects of life, they do not know he is homosexual.
Allusions
The story alludes to the challenges children go through as they try to discover their sexuality and identity.
Imagery
The imagery of sexuality dominates most sections of the book because Torless is struggling to understand his identity. Throughout the text, the reader sees how Torless is confused with societal expectations about morality and sexuality.
Paradox
The main paradox is that Torless is dismissed from school because he is too smart to attend a normal education curriculum. The headmaster decides to dismiss Torless from the school after concluding the Basini incident and finding that Torless is innocent.
Parallelism
Torless perception of life and sexuality parallels societal expectations about morality.
Metonymy and Synecdoche
N/A
Personification
N/A
