Genre
Historical fiction
Setting and Context
Set in modern-day Washington D.C.
Narrator and Point of View
Third-person perspective from Arthur’s perspective
Tone and Mood
The tone is hesitant, and the mood is edgy.
Protagonist and Antagonist
The central character is Arthur, and the antagonist is Mr. Hampton.
Major Conflict
The conflict is between Arthur and Mr. Hampton. Arthur does not want to see Mr. Hampton collecting trash in their neighborhood, and when he spots him, he hits him with a brick
Climax
The climax comes when Arthur is sentenced to community service and works with Mr. Hampton to collect trash in town. Arthur and Mr. Hampton end up becoming good friends.
Foreshadowing
The death of Mr. Hampton foreshadows Arthur's reflections on his mistakes in life.
Understatement
Mr. Hampton downplays the crime committed by Arthur when he tells the reporters that a brick incident is an act of God.
Allusions
N/A
Imagery
The description of Mr. Hampton and his shopping cart depicts a sense of sight. The narrator says, "Mr. Hampton is a junk-rugged man with his rusted shopping cart."
Paradox
The central paradox is that Mr. Hampton does not hold any grudge against Arthur for his criminal activity. In a twist of events, Mr. Hamptons says Arthur is innocent, and the brick incident is the work of God.
Parallelism
N/A
Metonymy and Synecdoche
“Juvie” is a metonymy to refer to children’s prison.
Personification
The court’s walls are personified when the narrator says they could hear Arthur’s sentencing.
