Genre
Fiction
Setting and Context
Wisconsin, after the murder of Gar Sawtelle
Narrator and Point of View
The narrator tells the story from Edgar's point of view.
Tone and Mood
The tone is sinister and threatening; the mood morose and filled with mistrust.
Protagonist and Antagonist
Edgar Sawtelle is the protagonist; his uncle, Claude Sawtelle, is the antagonist.
Major Conflict
There is conflict between Gar and Claude the night before Gar's murder. They have a verbal argument that escalates into a drunken brawl.
Climax
The barn burns down after Claude has killed Edgar, with Claude still in it.
Foreshadowing
Edgar finds the syringe in the barn which foreshadows the confirmation of his belief that his uncle murdered his father by poisoning him.
Understatement
N/A
Allusions
The author alludes to the specifics of dog breeding and the way in which breeders raise their animals and make sure the lines are healthy.
On the whole, the narrative alludes to characters and occurrences from Hamlet.
Imagery
The imagery is fairly dark and sinister, mirroring the mood of the story. A great deal of the imagery presents a ghostly imagery from the silhouettes of the trees in the wood to the actual ghostly outline of Gar Sawtelle.
Paradox
Claude traps Edgar in the burning barn and kills him not realizing that he is now unable to escape the barn himself.
Parallelism
There is a parallel between the murders of Gar and Edgar who both die at the hands of Claude.
Metonymy and Synecdoche
The farm is the way in which the author expresses the farm community and the people and animals living there.
Personification
N/A
