Point of View

The novel is written in the third person point of view. The narrator of this novel is Ogata Shingo, an elderly man who is beginning to feel his own mortality. The author remains with Shingo the entire novel and does not drift into the minds of other characters, nor does he insert his own voice in the novel. The novel is seen completely from Shingo's point of view, giving the reader an intimate view into Shingo's mind.

The point of view of this novel works well because it is a novel about the struggles one might face when growing old and the impact of the actions of one's children on the family life. This novel would not make half as much sense if the author had chosen to write it from another character's point of view or if he had attempted to show scenes in another...