'If I Forget Thee, O Earth . . . ' Chapter Summary & Analysis | Analysis

Analysis

The author uses the third person narrative perspective to tell the story about Marvin and his father. This is especially dramatic in this science fiction story because the reader explores along with Marvin and has no real insight into any emotions or feelings of the main character. Even the setting and the purpose of the father and son trip are revealed to Marvin at the same time that the reader discovers them.

The setting of the story is the moon, although it is not immediately revealed as such. There are indications along the way such as the surface vehicle with its balloon tires and pressurized cabin, the craters and ravines, the chalky dust blown up by the vehicle's tires and the intensity of the sun against a jet-black sky. Finally, at the end of the story when it is revealed that Marvin is a quarter of a million miles away...
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