Point of View

The point of view of "In Sunlight and in Shadow" is third person. The narrative typically follows Harry as he makes his way throughout the city of New York. Harry is a deeply intelligent and driven man, but his reliability is often questionable. He tends to come to many conclusions about people, and about Catherine in particular, without much discussion. He also quickly dismisses people he regards as small or unimportant, and is very apt to begin arguments with just this type of person. Catherine is also commonly the point of view character. She may be said to be more reliable, and certainly has very powerful ideas about how the world works, which is part of what draws Harry to her so deeply. Other characters serve as points of view briefly, to introduce or expand on ideas and themes in the novel. James Vanderlyn is the...