The Shack Literary Elements

Christian Fiction

The American Northwest, in or near Oregon

Third person limited (Mack)

Serious, reflective, reverent

Protagonist - Mack, Antagonist - The Little Ladykiller

Mack struggles with his internal guilt and anger over the murder of his daughter Missy. He also struggles to have faith in a loving God because of his own experience of abuse at the hands of his father's, and his daughter's murder.

Mack and Papa go to the location where Missy's body was hidden and Papa teaches Mack about forgiveness.

Young uses foreshadowing at many points throughout the book, particularly in the Foreword and early chapters. For example, in the Foreword he writes, "Josh and one of the two girls, Katherine (Kate), are still at home and attend the local community college. Then there is the late arrival, Melissa—or Missy, as we were fond of calling her. She...Well, you'll get to know some of them better in these pages."(p13)

When Mack meets Papa, Jesus, and Sarayu—the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost of Christianity—they are embodied in human forms that understate their power and importance.

Allusions are made to the Old Testament and New Testament, and quotes from religious and contemporary literature are used at the beginning of each chapter.

Imagery is used to make the days leading up to Missy's disappearance clear and vivid and to bring out the wonder and awe that Mack experiences at the shack.