Points of View

The novel is told in the third person omniscient. The narrator records the thoughts and feelings of three generations of characters, including many lengthy monologues, as they consider their religious faith. The narrator is generally neutral about many of the characters, although there are some moments in which the narrator discusses homosexual characters, and the reader feels that a negative judgment is being emphasized. For the most part, the emphasis is not on plot development. Instead, the narrator focuses on the relationships between characters and the conflicts that develop. Often the narrator offers conflicting perspectives on the same relationship. The most developed examples of conflicting perspectives include the relationship between Anna and Will, and the relationship between Will and his daughter Ursula.

The story is a family chronicle, recording the same patterns as they continue through three generations. Though the story begins with Tom Brangwen's own...