Narrator and point of view

The short story “The Moment Before the Gun Went Off” by Nadine Gordimer is told by a third-person narrator who appears to be omniscient. Most of the story is told from the point of view of the main character, Marais Van der Vyver, who exhibits racist views. 

One example of our access to these racist views is that the narrator stresses how the accident will be used by anti-apartheid activists who want to destroy “the white man’s power”. There is also mention of “black mobs” and “agitators and the whites who encourage them”. This shows the narrator's opinion on anti-apartheid activists. 

However, the narrative also occasionally gives us access to the thoughts and feelings of other characters. For instance, we gain a brief insight into Captain Beetge’s point of view wh...