Point of View

This novel is told from the third person point of view of a limited narrator. The narrator is limited because he tells the story from the point of view of several different characters with a focus on a particular character in each chapter. This limited narration allows the reader to know the thoughts, emotions, and motivations of only the people who are of focus in that particular section. In the early sections of the novel, Theresa and Nora serve as the characters on which the narrator focuses. For instance, Chapters 2 and 3 feature Nora as the character of focus while Chapters 4 and 5 feature Theresa as the character of focus. In the chapters that detail the time between Patrick’s death and his funeral characters of focus include not only Nora and Theresa but also Nora’s children John, Bridget, and Brian.

Language and Meaning

There is...