The entire story is told from the point of view of the nameless first-person narrator, who is an adult observing the play of children. Though his gender is not explicitly stated, his identification with the boy Fujio at the end of the story suggests that he is a man. All his characterization comes through his observation of the children, and there are no descriptions of his appearance or identifying details about his life. This anonymity reinforces his sense of himself as an observer—one who stands far on the other side of the threshold Fujio and Kiyoko reach at the end of this story, and whose life now consists of seeing and understanding the lives of others.

The narrator is a round character, sharing his complex interpretations of the scene. His subjective opinions permeate the story and vacillate between joyful enthusiasm and inevitable disappointment. He is enthusiastic about the scene he witnesses, and his voice and physical movement emulate childish tones and reflexes: “My eyes gleaming at what they saw up ahead, I hurried forward with short steps” (Paragraph 1). As he watches the interaction between Fujio and Kiyoko, he concludes that eventually Fujio will face disappointment that will confuse his understanding of what is true and authentic and what is merely

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