Genre
Domestic fiction
Setting and Context
The novel is predominately set in Haven, Wisconsin.
Narrator and Point of View
Told from a third-person perspective.
Tone and Mood
The novel is violent, criminal, jealous, judgemental, callous, crude, and energetic.
Protagonist and Antagonist
Leo Chang's family is the novel's protagonist; Leo Chang is the novel's antagonist.
Major Conflict
The conflict between Leo Chang, who is cruel and sadistic, and his family, who he abuses.
Climax
When Dagou is ultimately convicted for his father Leo's murder.
Foreshadowing
Dagou murdering his father is foreshadowed by their conversations about who will own the restaurant when Leo is gone.
Understatement
The extent to which Dagou hates his father is understated early on in the novel.
Allusions
There are a number of allusions to Asian (particularly Chinese) culture, history, geography, and family structure, to American culture and family structure, to other popular culture, the geography and geographical features of Wisconsin, and to science.
Imagery
As Dagou grows increasingly angry with his father, Leo, violent and jealous imagery becomes more and more common (leading to Leo's death).
Paradox
Dagou killed his father despite professing to love him.
Parallelism
Not applicable.
Metonymy and Synecdoche
Heart is used to refer to emotion.
Personification
The Chao family restaurant at the center of the novel is personified throughout the book.
