Genre
Fiction
Setting and Context
The action takes place in the distant past in an unnamed country in the middle East.
Narrator and Point of View
The action is told from the perspective of a third-person objective point of view.
Tone and Mood
The tone and mood is a neutral one.
Protagonist and Antagonist
The protagonist is Densu and the antagonist is Ababio.
Major Conflict
The major conflict is an internal one and is between the main character’s desire to become a healer and the need to accept his path as a future king.
Climax
The novel reaches its climax when Densu is found innocent.
Foreshadowing
Appia’s death is used at the beginning of the story to foreshadow the troubles through which Desu will have to go through.
Understatement
One of the biggest understatements in the story is the idea that Ababio will be faithful to Densu no matter what. This is true in the beginning of the story but is quickly becomes clear that Ababio was faithful from the beginning to the dead prince.
Allusions
One of the most important allusions in the story is the idea that physical power is not the decisive factor when it comes to being a good leader.
Imagery
N/A
Paradox
One of the most paradoxical idea is the way in which Densu continues to trust Ababio even when he realizes that the man in question is trying to get him killed.
Parallelism
A parallel is drawn between Appia and Densu, to show the different types of ruling. Appia represents the ruler who is manly and who is extremely interested in military conquests. Densu on the other hand is a more emphatic reader. The parallel between the two is used here to show that there is no perfect way to rule a country and that each approach has its own benefits and shortcomings.
Metonymy and Synecdoche
The forest is used as a general term to make reference to the instability of life.
Personification
We have a personification in the line “the trees whispered around him”.
