Points of View

David McCullough uses an omniscient third person point of view in Mornings on Horseback. This allows McCullough to trace what multiple individuals are thinking about the same events and people. While the focus of the work is Theodore Roosevelt, Jr. by bringing in the thoughts and feelings of other family members, friends, and acquaintances, the reader is able to gain a better understanding of Teddy Roosevelt and the family in which he grew up in.

McCullough uses diaries, letters, and other archival sources to give voice to the Roosevelt family. His interpretation of these events and choice of events to narrate are, because of the third person point of view, presented as absolute and authoritative. This is a familiar academic writing style, particularly for the time period in which it was written.

Setting

The main setting for Mornings on Horseback is the mid to late 1800s...