Point of View

The story is told from a first person perspective. The narrator is an older, wiser version of the protagonist himself, ostensibly relating past events from his own life. Most of the narrative is rooted in the "now" of the protagonist, focusing on the story as if it were unfolding in the present. The reader does, however, get the occasional glimpse of the future when the narrator interjects to provide commentary or explanation.

The narrator isn't invasive, but the reader would be hard pressed to ignore so tangible a voice. There is a sense throughout the story that the narrator is presenting a case before the reader. While perhaps wiser than his younger self, his prose suggests that he is still afflicted with a lingering sense of guilt. There is a pervasive sense that he desperately needs to be understood and judged in the correct context.

Some...