Point of View

This story is written in the past tense and the limited third person. Weigall is the point-of-view character throughout the entire story. Thus, every aspect of the narrative is filtered through Weigall’s direct experiences. This sense of restriction adds to the overall sense of fear and tension created in the story. For example, when Weigall is walking alone in the woods, the narration highlights Weigall’s sense of appreciation for the natural beauty, as well as a growing sense of uneasiness and isolation. When he arrives at the Strid, this sense of fear and vulnerability grows more intense, especially when Weigall sees what appears to be Gifford drowning in the water.

Although the story is told entirely through Weigall’s perspective, the story manages to widen its narrative perspective by indirectly including elements of Gifford’s interiority. The most prominent example of this dynamic...