Genre
A novel
Setting and Context
The main action takes place in Los Angeles, California, where the main character Astrid lives together with her mother Ingrid.
Narrator and Point of View
The narrator of the novel is a first person Astrid Magnussen, who tells about her difficult life with mother and foster families.
Tone and Mood
Because every character of this novel has own secrets (e.g., Ingrid kills her lover, Claire pretends to have a happy family), there is a mysterious mood. Many troubles and difficult life of Astrid, who does not feel love and respect from her mother, gives a dramatic mood.
Protagonist and Antagonist
The main protagonist is Astrid Magnussen. The main antagonist is her mother Ingrid Magnussen.
Major Conflict
The major conflict happens between mother and daughter. Ingrid does not think about her daughter Astrid and commits murder, leaving Astrid alone with her troubles. Moreover, she does not want to agree with the desires and worldview of Astrid. She thinks that her daughter is stupid.
Climax
The climax happens at the end of the book, when Ingrid lets her daughter go and tells the whole truth about Astrid’s father and the fact, when Ingrid abandoned her little daughter, when she was a baby.
Foreshadowing
The fact that Astrid will live in foster families hints to readers that the girl will not be happy. A child will never feel love and support from foster parents, because children need a kindred soul. Astrid will miss her own mother, despite all misunderstandings between them.
Understatement
N/A
Allusions
The novel alludes to: Venice, the eastern suburb of Los Angeles on the Pacific coast; Little Tokyo, Japanese American district in downtown Los Angeles; Payless, a chain of shoe stores; San Quentin, a prison in California; Wendy, a fairy girl, the heroine of the play “Peter Pan” by Scottish novelist and playwright J. M. Barrie.
Imagery
Mostly used in every day routine descriptions, and in appearance descriptions
Paradox
The paradox concerns Ingrid – if Ingrid does not give freedom and controls every deed of her daughter Astrid, she will be eventually accused of despotism; if the freedom is more than enough, Astrid will be reproached for her devil-may-care attitude towards Astrid.
Parallelism
N/A
Metonymy and Synecdoche
“Poison has killed him”.
It is a metonymy as it stands for Ingrid, who has killed her ex-lover Barry Kolker with the help of poison.
Personification
Ingrid’s murder personifies evil and human sin.
White oleander personifies death.
