Point of View

The novel is written in the limited third person, entirely from Four’s point of view. The narration conveys Four’s thoughts and observations in each moment, although the narrative gives a fairly limited presentation into Four’s interiority. For example, the reader is given almost no background information about Four. The reader does not even learn that he has children until nearly the end of the book. However, the novel does provide important insights into Four’s thoughts and attitudes regarding his job and the country to which he has been sent. At first, Four shows no interest in the country or its history. However, by the end of the novel, Four’s contact with the locals causes him to feel some empathy and sympathy towards them.

Because the novel consistently adheres to Four’s perspective, the narration never directly conveys the thoughts or...