Saturnalia is an extremely complicated novel. There are dozens of characters, each with his or her own story to tell. The novel shifts constantly from point of view to point of view, from story to story. Some of the stories have conclusions, while others linger unresolved.

The central conflict of the short novel is that between the clever, independent, and willful Indian boy William and the blindly bigoted Mr. Baggot. Baggot hates all who do not see the world through his opinionated eyes. They clash throughout the novel.

While William has several close calls, he always manages to elude Baggot's grasp. At the conclusion, William has, at least temporarily, bested the inexorable tithingman, but the battle is not over by any means. The issue becomes more complex when William declines the opportunity to flee the harsh Christianity of Boston.

Besides the story of William...