Elements of Fiction

ELEMENTS OF PLOT

Exposition:

Szpilman starts out by giving readers a background of himself and where he grew up. He talks about his daily schedule and routine as he lives in the some what terrible conditions.

Foreshadowing:

He uses hints like telling us that everyone was getting ready for war at any time and then when it finally comes, he gives clues about the ghetto

Inciting Force:

The Germans invading the town of the Jews

Conflict:

The conflict is definitely man versus society the whole book talks about how Szpilman adapts with the rough conditions. Also it is about him battling with the Germans invasion and how it makes him stronger.

Rising Action:

At first, the thoughts of the Germans coming got people very scared, then when they found out that the war had begun they became even more terrified. Then the Germans came and they realized that they might be taken to a ghetto.

Climax:

The climax is toward the end, it is when Szpilman is the only one left in the completely distroyed ghetto and is almost discovered by a German soldier.

Falling Action:

The falling action would be when Szpilman almost gets shot because he is wearing the German jacket that the soldier gave him

Resolution:

Szpilman plays a song for a large audience, he tries to find away to start his new life and move on because none of his family survived.


CHARACHERIZATION

Major characters:

Protagonist: Wladyslaw Szpilman

Antagonist: The German forces

Foil: His father

Minor Characters:

His sister Halina and his brother Henryk, he explains their personalities but they don't appear a lot throughout the book

First person:

Wladyslaw Szpilman, the entire book is about him and his life during the Holocaust


CONFLICT

Man vs. Self:

He is stuck throughout the whole book fighting against himself for being put in the situation and is mad that he cant get out, as well as feels like he should be doing more for his family but dosnt have the choice

Man vs. Society:

He is constantly fighting with and going against the Germans because they have completely ruined Szpilman's life and taken everything away from him.

Man vs Man: Szpilman blames himself for not being able to protect his family and it bothers him.

FORESHADOWING

I think that one way Szpilman foreshadows is how he keeps describing the situations that they are in; and how each time they keep getting progressively worse. As well as the physical conditions of themselves and everyone else. You know that they are struggling and surviving is getting harder by the way they describe their lifestyle.


IRONY

Verbal Irony: none

Irony of Situation: the police let Szpilman and his dad and brother go even though they were expected to be shot and killed because they were out after curfew

Dramatic Irony: the Jews think they were just being sent to a labor camp but the reader knows they are really going to a death camp.



TONE/MOOD

Tone:

At the start of the war Szpilman and the others in his town would keep themselves busy and try not to worry too much about the Germans invading. They would try to be optimistic, until they actually invaded then the tone changed a little, it became more grim. Not as positive and more unsure then they were before.

Mood:

The mood in this story is very serious, you have a lot of people dying and the conditions that these people are living in are very difficult. The mood tends to be very depressing and sad and doesn't change a whole lot throughout the book.



SYMBOLISM

When the trains come to pick up the Jews, there was a strong scent of chlorine coming from them which ment bad things were happening at the place where they were going to. Something bad is going to happen when they get there.



THEME


All of the things that the Nazis did during the Holocaust were horrible and dehumanizing to the Jews.

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