Another important element is irony - when something happens, or is seen, or is heard that we may know, but the characters do not, or that appears opposite of what is expected. Some examples of irony include:

1. Farmer argues with the American sergeant that it makes no sense to apply principles of constitutional law to a country that has no functioning legal system. So they come to a stalemate - one is a redneck arguing for due process while the other is a champion of human rights arguing for preventative detention.

2. Farmer explains that he had come to Captain Carroll to warn him. The Haitians in the area were upset with Carroll's decision about Nerva Juste and had challenged the doctor to stop and talk to the soldier. Ironically, as they were passing the army compound, the got a flat tire and Farmer had commented that you have to listen to messages from angels.........

.....12. Serena calls Kidder and says that a formidable group of physicians have examined John and discovered that he has one solid tumor growing back into his spinal column and the roof of his mouth. Ironically, they worked like fools and spent a lot of money to get him to Boston and now he's going to die.

MOTIFS

Another important element is a motif which is a recurring element used to develop a literary work. There is one major motif in this book:

1. Farmer is portrayed as a kind of priest of a belief system he calls liberation theology. That is, he......

The complete study guide is currently available as a downloadable PDF, RTF, or MS Word DOC file from the PinkMonkey MonkeyNotes download store. The complete study guide contains summaries and notes for all of the chapters; detailed analysis of the themes, plot structure, and characters; important quotations and analysis; detailed analysis of symbolism, motifs, and imagery; a key facts summary; detailed analysis of the use of foreshadowing and irony; a multiple-choice quiz, and suggested book report ideas and essay topics.