According to Indonesian writer and literary critic Subagio Sastrowardoyo, the narrator appears to be representative of Mihardja and is used to teach moral lessons to the reader through his suggestions to Hasan.
Menurut penulis dan kritikus sastra Indonesia Subagio Sastrowardoyo, narator ini tampaknya mewakili Achdiat dan digunakan untuk menyampaikan ajaran moral kepada pembaca melalui sarannya kepada Hasan.