Setting and narrator

Read here our discussion regarding the setting and narrator of “After Caravaggio's Sacrifice of Isaac” by Rachel Cusk.

Setting

The short story is set in England (l. 60) and was probably meant to be read as a contemporary narrative. The setting is realistic and the narrator recounts events spreading from the time his son was born until he was three years old.

Physical setting

Most of the places are not described in detail but only mentioned. The most relevant and symbolic elements of the physical setting are the paintings that catch the narrator’s eye when he enters an art gallery for the first time:

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Social setting

The fact that the narrator’s wife, Sally, dislikes being close to her child after birth and its impact on the couple’s relationship shows how sometimes having a child can cause depression and worsen the relationship between the parents. A modern social aspect is conveyed when we find out that Alan takes paternity leave from work to look after the child, something that is becoming increasingly common nowadays.

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Narrator

The short story is a first-person narration told from the perspective of a male narrator called Alan. The narrator is also the main character in the story, recounting personal events that concern him, which give him credibility.

His knowledge is limited. He does not know what the other characters think or how they will react: “When he looks at me now in that strange way, deep down I always think that it’s because he’s remembered that night.” (ll. 102-103)

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