Analysis of Homecoming by Ray Bradbury

Analysis

1. The point-of-view in the story is omniscient as it does not have pronouns like "I" or "me". A quote from the story proves this point, "Laura went on with it. Timothy shut his eyes. 'Timothy doesn't-well-doesn't like blood. He's delicate.'" (page 282) this quote proves that it is written in the narrative form where we are aware of each of the characters feelings, like Laura goes along with it and Timothy shuts his eyes and his mom justifies that he is delicate.

2. The author establishes the dark, shrilly mood by describing things like, "autumn wind broke in a tide on the house, rain crashed down, shaking the beams" (page 283) which makes the reader shiver and sense the dark mood that is within the story. This quote in particular sends the reader to imagine a dark night with stormy, gloomy weather which automatically adds to the vampire theme of this story.

3. The main character is curious, frightened and ambitious. It shows that Timothy is curious when it is stated, "he walked the meadows collecting toadstools and spiders" (page 280). The character is also a frightened individual as his mother states that Timothy is afraid of blood, "'Timothy doesn't-well-doesn't like blood. He's delicate.'" (page 282). The character is also ambitious as he wants to follow in the footsteps of his older siblings, "Please, help me grow, help me be like my sisters and brothers" (page 280).

4. -Irony is present within this story when the family is full of vampires yet they live among meadows, "for two hours in the now-warm, now-cold wind he walked the meadows collecting toadstools and spiders" (page 280).

-Foreshadowing is present when the storm is approaching as it shows that something wrong is going to occur. "There were fey noises from the cellars, autumn wind piped down the chimney throat" (page 281).

-Suspense is present when the storm arrives and we do not know what will happen next and the reader is on the edge of the seat, "at midnight a storm hammered the house" (page 280).

-Surprise is shown when the family of vampires realizes that the child of one of them named Timothy is squeamish, "Timothy doesn't...like blood" (page 282).

-Symbolism is present when the storm arrives along with the family of vampires which is symbolizing that disaster is to occur "more lighting, more thunder" (page 283).

5. The author uses a lot of personification within the story. For example one quote is, "autumn wind...chanting" (page 281) which describes natures wind as "chanting" something wind doesn't do. Bradbury also uses, "thunder of wings" (page 281) giving thunder wings is giving weather characteristics humanlike qualities.