Point of View

The short story is written from the third-person point of view. This third-person narration is limited to the main character Basil Bebbington's experiences and perspective on the world. Because of this close relationship between the narrator and main character, the narrator's attention remains lodged in Basil's psyche throughout the entirety of the short story. Indeed in many passages, the third-person narrator's voice merges with Basils' thoughts, feelings, and voice. For example, in the passage following Basil's dismissal from the observatory, the narrator says, "every few nights [Basil] dreams of volcanoes and flame-haired goddesses and humiliation. I love you like the sky loves blue. I love you like putting up the Christmas tree. What happens to all the one-sided desire in the world? Does it dissipate into the air, or does it flit around from soul to soul, anxious, haunted, looking for a place to land...