Point of View

The point of view of this novel is third person omniscient. The narrator shifts from Julio to Marcel with occasional dips into the minds of the female lead characters, especially Dona Luisa and Chichi. This point of view is clear and easy to read, illuminating for the reader the emotions of each of the main characters at different points in the development of the plot and showing events that only one of the characters might have knowledge of.

Marcelo and Julio share the main duties of narrator. Marcelo shows the story through the point of view of a father and a patriot, torn between his love for his son and his love for his country. Marcelo knows how horrible war can be and he has experienced the cruelty of the Germans first hand, therefore he is thrilled to see his son join the fight. Marcelo also...