The novel is told through the eyes of Henry Burton, the young political consultant to governor and presidential candidate Jack Stanton. Henry is a very omniscient narrator because he is very involved in the political life of the governor. Because of his right-hand position and the amount of time spent with the Stanton, he knows more about the candidate than anyone else - possibly even Stanton himself. He tells a very factual view of what happens, but is also very observant and skilled at interpreting Stanton’s motives.
In chapter 4, the narrator talks about the times in Manchester that Stanton spent at Dunkin’ Donuts visiting the crippled employee named Danny Scanlon. The governor would go very late at night and chat with Danny about trivial things like college basketball. Seeing how hardworking and cheerful Danny was, Stanton was able to once again find a purpose in his campaign, to make better lives for dedicated workers like Danny. Only someone so entangled with the life of Stanton would know about these visits, and be able to understand their significance and affect on Stanton.
Because of his legislative political background, Henry understands how stressful politics can be and the need to find time to wind down. The close relationship with Stanton allows Henry to recognize that without finding such a purpose to continue on, the governor might have given up or quit (much like Henry did when he ‘retired’ years prior.)
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1 comment:
Very good analysis. I like your choice of scene. Remember though, that the reader is not always completely in agreement with the narrator--often there is a bit of distance once the narrator judges a person in a way that makes the reader say, "HUH?"
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