Points of View

The novel is told in the third person omniscient point of view. The narrator provides information about the various characters, including their backgrounds as well as their inner thoughts. Many of the characters are covered more in depth than others. Timothy Burnham, for example, has the largest role in the narrative and his inner thoughts are explored the most deeply. However, very little information is given about his background before coming to Washington, D.C.

Foster Pym and Ivy Peniston, on the other hand, have a large amount of background information for relatively smaller roles in the novel. Foster Pym's life story from childhood to the present is given in greater detail than the background information about the main character, Timothy Burnham. Ivy Peniston, who plays a much smaller role, also has a great deal more attention paid to her background and her motivations than many...