Point of View

The story is told entirely from Jorge’s perspective. Jorge narrates the story in the first person and the past tense. Because of this point of view, the story repeatedly checks in with Jorge’s emotional reactions to the circumstances, events, and the behavior of other characters. The narrative thusly positions Jorge’s values and emotional states in direct contrast to those of the other two central characters, Hans and Pa. Jorge is consistently frustrated with Hans and Pa’s petty, cowardly natures. However, the only time that Jorge directly verbalizes these feelings is when he points a gun at Hans and Pa and calls them cowards.

Jorge’s perspective is also distinct in that he experiences important moments of empathy that seem to drive his actions. Jorge is not necessarily empathetic towards Pa and Hans, as he dismisses them as generally cowardly and selfish...