Objective and Subjective Perspective

The following extract highlights the rapid changes in perspective from internal subjective to external objective. Almost the whole passage describes  Hull’s escape from Santa Barbara. There is nothing within the text suggesting that this escape is imaginary, until suddenly “with a shock” Hull comes to and all of the preceeding action is shown to have taken place only in Hull’s imagination. There is no explanation or commentary on this change in perspective in the story.

How simple everything was. Even now he could leave. Nobody had recognised him. Not a soul knew as yet that Hull from Sebastian was here. If they found out afterwards they might think it was a shameful thing for him to have done. Maybe it really was shameful. But the steamer that had brought him here would take him back in the morning. Every day a dozen ships left Margaret’s Isle for any number of ports. All right, it was shameful. Once on the other side, however, the sun would melt away the shame. How simple everything was. He started to move, threw down a coin, ran out and banged the door shut. He ran down the hill and across the landing stage, crouched in the cabin and waited desperately for the ship’s bell to ring.

Finally they had weighed anchor and were out at sea. He went on deck. There lay Santa Barbara. With the same incredible speed that it had grown bigger yesterday it now got smaller and smaller….

With a shock, Hull came to.