Point of View

The novel is written entirely from the first person point of view of the main character Mac. Mac is a war veteran and DeMille creates the point of view to reflect how a veteran would view each situation. Mac is constantly considering secret codes, back up plans, and when and if to shoot a gun. He compares situations to “Allfuckedupistan” (meaning Afghanistan) (5). He also has flashback memories or dreams - as exemplified in Chapter 24 - that show the hard decisions and trauma he experienced. Sometimes he references how lucky he is to be alive - demonstrating the survivor’s guilt common for veterans. For example, he sometimes mentions “borrowed time,” meaning his guilt at still being alive - and borrowing that time from his fallen comrades (113). Mac is also a single white male in his 30s, and DeMille uses that element of Mac’s character...