Point of View

The novel is written in the third person, with the narrator knowing all details including the inner thoughts, feelings and emotions of the characters. The point of view frequently changes between characters and the narrator sometimes reveals things to the reader and that other characters do not know. A lot of time is dedicated to the thoughts of the characters. These thoughts reveal the most important things about the story as it describes what motivates the characters. These thoughts and feelings make the characters sympathetic and show them as whole people. This makes the characters likable in a way they would not be if only their actions were shown.

Setting

The novel is set in a rural Mexican state. Though the state is never specifically named it is believed Greene based it on the state of Tabasco. The region is very poor and made up mostly...