Point of View

This short story is written entirely from the first-person perspective of the unnamed narrator. His point of view is limited to what he sees, hears, feels, and thinks; however, as basically all of the action takes place in the view of the narrator his record is a reliable one. As a result, much of what readers learn comes not just from the narrator’s reportage but also from his commentary, analysis, internal feelings, and memories. While some first-person narrators are unreliable, twisting events to fit their own preferences or interpretations, the narrator of this story seems honest, if biased.

That bias is a notable result of the first-person perspective: the narrator’s commentary could color our sense of Mark especially, since the narrator dislikes many aspects of his character and does not take his religious sense of identity seriously. With his internal jokes and criticisms...