In my reading of  this novel, I found the point of view to be the most interesting part. Traditionally in texts relating to war or trauma, you will see that the point of view is usually that of the soldier who experienced the brutalities. By using the cousin as the point of view in this novel, West allows for the reader to see into a world that was much less common; the effects of war on the home front. As everyone most likely knows, World War I was an incredibly horrendous war, as it was a mix of modern technology and classic fighting styles. The trench warfare style of fighting that took place has been well documented to be the cause of many psychological disturbances that afflicted soldiers in the war, but with this novel, West allows you to see that the soldiers were not the only ones who would suffer as a result of this brutal war.