Genre
Psychological fiction
Setting and Context
21st Century America
Narrator and Point of View
The novel is narrated by Michael Reed, whose point of view is nihilistic.
Tone and Mood
The text is nihilistic, philosophical, and sometimes comical.
Protagonist and Antagonist
The protagonist is Michael, while the antagonist is suffering, death and grief.
Major Conflict
The major conflict is Michael's feelings of grief and numbness after the death of his wife and daughter.
Climax
The climax of the novel is when Michael finds a sense of meaning in his life.
Foreshadowing
Michael's unresolved grief foreshadows his more chaotic actions at the end of the novel.
Understatement
Michael does not express his feelings properly, understating his feelings of grief and depression.
Allusions
Johnson alludes to stereotypes and expectations about academic professors.
Imagery
Johnson describes Michael's grief and numbness using imagery.
Paradox
Flower's name is a paradox and oxymoron.
Parallelism
N/A
Metonymy and Synecdoche
N/A
Personification
Michael personifies the drawing as having "explained" something.
