Point of View

The Conservationist is told in the third person. The point of view is taken mostly from Mehring and Jacobus' view of day-to-day life in the city and on the farm. The monotony of farm tasks is delved into, as well as the monotony of business life. Mehring uses Jacobus to ensure that the detail jobs are completed. More importantly, Jacobus is the liaison between Mehring and his workers. Jacobus is the focal point between management and employee. As such, he often finds himself in situations where he is truly torn between the two. Jacobus feels loyalty to his employer, who has done a lot for him financially but doesn't really know him. He also feels loyalty to his people, the workers, who he tries to help out when he can.

The loyalty of Jacobus is significant. Mehring thinks that Jacobus respects him because he isn't dumb...