Point of View

Moberg relates the story from the point of view of birth and rebirth that is part of human life cycle. The natural history involves life and death that influences lives. The author also includes his own way of perceiving life and death. The importance of perception on death seems to be derived from the importance on the perception of life. If death is not important, life also would be not important. Death for the author is also something inevitable that his characters are aware of, as the only certainty in life that it will occur sooner or later.

The author begins his story with the beginning of life of his main character Karl. Karl is connected to his family the lives of his parents. The beginning of his life coincides with the beginning of a new ruler, Swedish King. The new beginning is always the end...