Opposing Moralities

The actions, situations, and perspectives of the book’s two central characters embody its core thematic exploration of opposing moralities. On one side of the coin, there is the character identified only as the Englishman. As he is described by the narrator (who may or may not be entirely reliable), the Englishman finds himself in the situation he is – i.e., on the run from various authorities – as a result of making a decision defined by what might be described as a positive morality. That morality, for him – and perhaps in general – is defined by a sense of fairness, of doing right for, and by, other people.

On the other side of the coin, there is the narrator and protagonist, whose behavior seems defined by what might be described as a negative morality. For much of the book, she reveals herself to be motivated by...