comment on structure

On one level, the narrative's structure is as essentially linear as the railroad around which the novel's events and communities are set, moving through the before, during and after the strike in a basic, one event after another progression. There is a sense of steadily escalating tension and obstacle, of increasing desperation and of stakes intensifying along every step of the novel's narrative journey, the characters' individual journeys towards freedom and integrity, and their community's journeys towards empowerment and respect. In other words, structure supports narrative intention, both supporting theme, all defining and defined by character.