Writing Techniques in To the Hilt

To the Hilt Techniques

Because Alexander Kinloch is the narrator of To the Hilt, everything that transpires in the novel is seen through his eyes. The young man's fundamental honesty and artist's sensitivity assure that events he relates and people he tells about are recorded and portrayed faithfully, accurately, and consistently; that he is a likable chap increases the effectiveness of the first person narrative point of view. The device also assures immediacy and total involvement on the part of the reader, particularly since one quickly comes to admire the narrator and empathize with him. The two violent attacks he endures at the beginning and later in the novel have greater impact upon the reader when told by the victim as he undergoes the torment, than if an omniscient or third person narrator reported them. Francis's choice of narrative technique also helps him to maintain suspense, since the reader is misled, makes missteps, confronts...
(read more)