Point of View

The novel is written in the first-person point of view from the perspective of the narrator, Captain Arthur Hastings. The point of view of this novel is intimate, allowing a reader to connect closely with the main character, Captain Hastings. The book written in this manner allows the reader to get inside Hastings's head, thoughts and inner struggles. The reader cares what happens to the narrator. The point of view also allows the author to inject her own opinions into the narration and to expand on the events taking place around the other characters and the occurrences taking place.

Setting

The novel is set primarily in the Styles guesthouse, which is in Styles St. Mary. While it never specifically states the time period when the novel takes place, it seems to be in the 19th or 20th centuries. The main characters are involved in the events...