Point of View

The novel is told from the third-person, limited, point of view. The narrator is reliable, entirely effaced and unnamed. Hornblower, the main character, is the protagonist and central figure in all the scenes in the novel. The narrator frequently divulges frequent internal thoughts of the protagonist. The majority of the story is told through action and dialogue; revealed thoughts are frequent but generally are used for characterization rather than plot development. For example, Hornblower is often portrayed in an agony of self-critical and nervous thought. The narrator also occasionally reveals the internal thoughts and opinions of minor characters. This style deviates somewhat from the norm for the series of novels but does not harm the narrative in any way. Indeed, the occasional internal thoughts of Bush or other officers are enlightening.

The third-person point of view allows Hornblower to be presented in a highly-sympathetic manner. For...