Answer:
Genre
Short story
Setting and Context
An unnamed Jewish village in rural Eastern Europe, likely Poland, set during the winter months
Narrator and Point of View
Third-person narrative
Tone and Mood
From the beginning, the tone and mood are grim, as the family has no money for Hanukkah and therefore decided to sell their goat. The mood shifts and becomes dramatic and grave as the storm threatens Aaron and Zlateh. But as soon as Aaron discovers shelter in the haystack, a sense of hope imbues the story with a good-natured mood and a reflective, wise tone.
Protagonist and Antagonist
Protagonists: Aaron and Zlateh. Antagonist: the blizzard.
Major Conflict
The conflict exists in the struggle between Aaron and Zlateh against the fierce blizzard.
Climax
The story comes to a climax when the storm threatens Aaron and Zlateh, and they face the prospect of freezing to death. Just at that moment, they find a haystack for crucial shelter.
Foreshadowing
The coziness inside the haystack foreshadows the comfort of life back at home in the village, suggesting that Aaron and Zlateh will find their way home together in the end.
Understatement
N/A
Allusions
The Jewish holiday of Hanukkah is alluded to as the context for the story.
Imagery
Throughout the story, the natural world is described with vivid imagery. The narrator paints a picture of the dark and threatening storm, as well as the beauty and calm of the world after the storm.
Paradox
The very storm that threatens Aaron and Zlateh is also the impetus for Zlateh's salvation from the butcher.
Parallelism
The cozy atmosphere inside the haystack parallels the warmth of the family home back in the village.
Metonymy and Synecdoche
N/A
Personification
Several aspects of the natural world come to life through personification, especially the elements of the storm and the calm skies after the storm. For example, during the storm, the narrator describes the wind wailing "with one voice and then with many... [with] the sound of devilish laughter." Similarly, after the storm, the narrator notes how the "moon swam in the sky as in a sea.”
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Yiddishism and Americanism in Isaac Bashevis Singer's Work
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STUDY GUIDE NAVIGATION
About Zlateh the Goat
Zlateh the Goat Summary
Character List
Glossary
Themes
Quotes and Analysis
Summary And Analysis
Part I
Part II
Symbols, Allegory and Motifs
Metaphors and Similes
Irony
Imagery
Yiddishism and Americanism in Isaac Bashevis Singer's Work
Literary Elements
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