Old God's Time

Content Warning: The source material contains depictions of physical and sexual violence against minors. It also depicts suicide, drug abuse, acts of terrorism, violence, and murder.

Tom is the protagonist of Old God’s Time and embodies its central themes. The third-person narration is primarily from his point of view, and it shares his perceptions of events, as well as his thoughts and feelings. Even when the narration moves into an omniscient perspective, it remains centered around Tom. For example, it highlights Tom’s insignificance in relation to the universe but his centrality to the story; the narration describes Tom’s soul as being “so large it was not there […] to a neutrino” (46). This encapsulates the dichotomy between a person’s insignificance in the face of larger forces and the enormity of their personal, emotional journey. Tom’s perspective is the lens through which the novel explores the widespread Systemic Violence in Institutions in Ireland. He embodies both a personal and institutional incarnation of the perpetration of systemic violence. He also experiences it as a victim and fights against it: In his work as a police officer, he both pursues justice and abides by unspoken codes of non-interference.