Point of View

The story is written in third person from Shimamura's point of view. The view is limited to Shimamura's perspective. In addition, only those events that happen to Shimamura in the resort town are revealed. He occasionally mentions his wife and children, but speaks of them in a detached, general sort of way with no details. For example, he mentions that his wife warns to watch for moths on his clothing while he is visiting the mountain resort. Other than an occasional mention of this sort, the only information the reader has is what happens within Shimamura's sight. It is known Komako is attending parties and going about her "business," but there are no details of those escapades. In some ways, this is rather limiting but seems necessary for the effectiveness of the story.

Setting

The story is set in Japan in a resort town of the...