Genre
Drama
Language
English
Setting and Context
Alabama, 1900
Narrator and Point of View
Tone and Mood
Serious, Dramatic, Tragic
Protagonist and Antagonist
Protagonists are Horace and Alexandra. Antagonists are Regina, Ben, Oscar and Leo
Major Conflict
The main conflict is that Regina and her brothers are scheming a way to get ahold of Horace's money, in spite of the fact that he does not want to give it to them.
Climax
Horace discovers the missing bonds and tells Regina, who allows her husband to die before he can say he lent them to Ben and Oscar. She gains a 75% stake in the business by blackmailing her two brothers.
Foreshadowing
Oscar's harshness towards Birdie in the beginning of the play foreshadows how cruel he and his siblings are, and what they will do to ensure their own profit. Horace's poor health foreshadows his eventual death. Regina's desire to move to Chicago foreshadows her eventual plans to move there.
Understatement
Allusions
The title is an allusion to the Old Testament in Bible, specifically Solomon 2:15: "Catch the foxes for us, the little foxes that spoil the vineyards, for our vineyards are in blossom."
Imagery
Lionnet plantation being refurbished, Horace's death in the hallway.
Paradox
The Hubbard siblings all dupe each other selfishly in spite of wanting to be in cahoots with one another.
Parallelism
Alexandra's tells her mother that those who stand by are complicit in what happens when wrong is done, paralleling what Addie has told her.
Personification
Use of Dramatic Devices
The play takes place on a single set.
