“The sky, dappled in subtle gradation of grey, goes on forever; so do the fields, coded in shades of green by their different uses […] Away to the north, a line of low mountains rolls along the horizon. Cal’s eyes are still getting used to looking this far, after all those years of city blocks. Landscape is one of the few things he knows of where the reality doesn’t let you down. The West of Ireland looked beautiful on the internet; from right snack in the middle of it, it looks even better.”

Cal’s initial encounter with the West Irish landscape replaces the view of the Chicago tower blocks he was used to, revealing both his character and the nuances of the place. His observation that landscape is one of the few things that does not disappoint, indicates that he was disappointed to mistrust that life can be good, while the subtle gradations of green and grey in the landscape are symbolic of the subtle, unpredictable nature of the local people.

“For the last week and a half, someone has been watching Cal. Probably longer, but he had his mind on his own business and he took for granted, like anyone would have a right to do amid all this empty space, that he was alone. His mental alarm systems were switched off, the way he wanted them.”

This passage juxtaposes the alarming fact that Cal is being watched with his studied indifference to the situation. This indicates that Cal, a former cop, wants to harbor the illusion that no trouble of the kind he had at home can reach him here in the West of Ireland. The mental alarm systems that can so easily be activated are deliberately switched off so that he can get on with a different sort of life.

“In the face he’s ordinary: a little of the baby softness left, not strong-featured or fine-featured, or good-looking or ugly; the only things that stand out are a stubborn chin and a pair of grey eyes fixed on Cal like they’re running him through some CIA-level computer check.”

Cal’s first glimpse of Trey reveals the latter’s characteristic inscrutability. The fact that Trey neither complies with the extremes of strong or delicate features, good or bad looks, indicates that this seemingly male-presenting person could blend in with the crowd. However, the details of baby softness indicate Trey’s youth, while the “stubborn chin” suggests a stubborn character.