Pablo Ibbieta, who has been taken as a prisoner of war presumably by the Spanish army, narrates the story in the first person. His voice is very casual and intimate, relating the details of his experience along with many of his thoughts and feelings about it. Because he is able to so accurately and realistically describe each moment of existence, the terror of his imprisonment is shocking in its vibrancy and impact.

With the first sentence, the narrator has been born into this new world, which he describes as large and bright enough to hurt his eyes. This immediately establishes him as being in a vulnerable position. With the description Ibbieta provides of the inquisition, there is no question about the fairness of the proceedings. The officials do not even appear to be listening to the prisoners' replies; there are no lawyers or judges, no...