Point of View

The story is told in the third person by a narrator who remains independent of the actions that are taking place during Marit’s last night but who at the same time has a subtly articulated opinion about the people, the decisions, and the general condition of the depicted culture. When Marit tries to remember her past as a happy time, for instance, the narrator recognizes in her “frightened smile” a flash of emotion that “seemed to mean just the opposite.” The implications of this observation are clear: despite her best attempts to present to herself and to others an image of her life as happy and full, she is painfully aware of the illusion in surface harmonies and the inevitability of decay.

Chronology

Another important element in the construction of the story is the use of flashbacks, a strategy by...