Point of View

A Ballad of Love and Glory is told through third person limited narration. The narrator focuses on relating the thoughts and feelings of each protagonist in turn. This is especially useful as Ximena and Riley spend most of the novel apart from one another and also tend to conceal their true desires. The narrator’s perspective only ever switches at the beginning of a new chapter.

The narrator reflects character growth through tone and mood. This especially apparent with Riley’s character, as his experiences in the Mexican American War alter his worldview drastically. At the start of the novel, Riley is determined and goal oriented. His main focus is keeping his family back home in Ireland alive through the money he sends them. The following quote captures the essence of Riley’s thoughts at this time: “He thought of Nelly and their son, Johnny...