Point of View

The novel’s narration is written using a third-person mode that is limited to Håkan’s perspective. The novel consistently follows Håkan as the protagonist. The narration is consistently written in the past tense, including in the epilogue and prologue. The narration bears direct access to Håkan’s interiority, meaning his thoughts and emotions, but the narrative does not convey the interiority of any of the other characters. In this way, the novel maintains focus and emphasis on Håkan’s mental and emotional changes as he undergoes the many new and arduous challenges present by his journey and his circumstances. The narrative also tracks the widening of Håkan’s personal perspective as he explores more of the world, for as a child, he lived on a single isolated farm in Sweden.

Through the presentation of the various characters that H...