Genre
Literary Fiction
Setting and Context
The story is set in Barbados in the 20th century.
Narrator and Point of View
First-person perspective from an adult narrator reflecting on her childhood.
Tone and Mood
Tone: Reflective, observational
Mood: Alienation, curiosity
Protagonist and Antagonist
Protagonist: A nine-year-old girl Antagonist: The clash between modern and traditional worlds
Major Conflict
The major conflict is the cultural and generational divide between the narrator’s modern New York upbringing and Da-duh’s traditional Barbadian values and lifestyle.
Climax
The climax occurs when the narrator describes the Empire State Building to Da-duh.
Foreshadowing
The tension in Da-duh’s initial scrutiny of the narrator foreshadows the deeper exploration of their differing worldviews and the resolution of their relationship.
Understatement
The narrator's description of the snow in New York and the technological marvels is an understatement of how it affects Da-duh.
Allusions
The story alludes to themes of cultural clash and generational shifts. Da-duh’s reactions and the descriptions of technological marvels and urban landscapes in New York highlight the contrast between traditional Caribbean life and modernity
Imagery
The narrative is rich with vivid imagery, such as the “dazzling sheen of tropical sunlight,” the “stiletto blades” of the canes, and the various fruits in Da-duh’s orchard. These images help convey the contrast between the narrator’s familiar world and the new environment.
Paradox
Da-duh embodies a paradox of being both very old and yet possessing a curious gaze that seems youthful.
Parallelism
There is a parallel between Da-duh’s pride in her land and the narrator’s descriptions of New York.
Metonymy and Synecdoche
N/A
Personification
The tropical wood is personified as a place engaged in a "violent" struggle for sunlight.
