Point of View

Most of this novel is told from the point of view of a third-person narrator. For instance, in the “Prologue,” “The birth of Simon Arthur Henry Fitzranulph Basset, Earl Clyvedon, was met with great celebration” (1). The narrator is not part of the action, but stands from a distance and reports what he sees and hears. There is a good deal of narration, so characters have a way to express themselves in their own words, but there is no focus on any one character. This choice of narration works well for the novel because the emphasis is not so much on any one character, but the way the characters react to the limitations put on them. Simon is a dynamic character as he changes his point of view about getting married and having children, but his change does not rely on him alone. The story needs...