Point of View

The narration of the novel is in the third-person with a limited omniscient narrator who focuses on one of the major characters in each chapter. The subject of the narrator’s omniscience often changes from chapter to chapter, mainly switching between Corrine and Russell. There are several chapters scattered throughout the book that center on Jack Carson, Luke McGavock, or Washington Lee. In each of these chapters the reader is privy to the focal character’s inner thoughts. Only one chapter deviates from this pattern: Chapter 43. This chapter is written as an apology and explanation letter from Phillip Kohout to Russell. The break from the norm reflects the abnormal period of life Russell experiences during that section of the novel.

Language and Meaning

McInerney takes on the tone of the focal character in each chapter to give the impression that the narration comes from the...