Point of View

The story is told mainly as a flashback in the first person of Phillip Carver. There is very little dialogue unless it is recalled from a past event. Phillip tells about events of the past that he believes shaped how the present situation with his father is.

The last part of the story is still told in the first person point of view from Phillip, but in present day. The summons to Memphis is the point in the story from which it goes to his present situation.

As readers, we are given little, if any, insight into Josephine, Betsy, or Father. Occasionally, there is a bit of dialogue where we guess what Father is thinking, but not definitely.

Setting

The majority of the story takes place in the past, through recollections of the narrator, and events in Memphis. There are also recollection scenes that take place...