Point of View

The novel is told from the third-person perspective, from Jake's point of view. The chapters alternate between Jake's current life in England and her past in Australia, with the chapters in England told in past-tense and the chapters in Australia written in present-tense. The third-person perspective is useful in the unusual structure of the novel, in which Jake's past is revealed backward, with the last events occurring first and the earliest events being written last. If the novel were told in first-person, it might be more difficult to hide some of the details that are slowly revealed through the backward progression of the text. This also creates a stronger sense of uncertainty in the creature that seems to be killing off Jake's sheep, since the reader can never be entirely certain that Jake is actually seeing and hearing what she thinks is happening.

Language and Meaning