I find it interesting that through Umineko, we are getting to watch at least 4 different aspects of the events around Rokkenjima. There is the present, human perspective. There is the people discussing and arguing about the lives and events that the humans are going through. There are the pasts that have led up to the people's perspectives. And then finally there is the future perspective.
The 1st side, or aspect, of the story is that of the parent's, servant's, and kid's perspectives during the 2 days on Rokkenjima. This would include the worries the parents have on their minds about extorting each other and being suspicious. This would include their stresses, such as Natsuhi and Krauss over Kinzo's charade, or people's thoughts and feelings, such as between George and Shannon during the 2 days.
The 2nd aspect is the side of the characters who are witnessing, or observing, the events between the family over those 2 days. They variably interactive with and affect every one of these listed aspects of the series. For example, they argue with each other over the events that transpire and what is going on the heads of the people during the 2 days. This would be the different logic battles, particularly between Battler and Beatrice, including Eva-Beatrice. Later on, Bern and Erika and such do more than argue, and intentionally mess around with the lives of the people during the 2 days. Doing things such as making a character that would definitely affect, influence and ultimately change what is going on in the heads of the people on the island, in those 2 days. I'm talking like it would greatly affect the first aspect I mentioned. This kind of intrusion into the side of the setting conveyed through the humans' perspectives climaxes in EP6. Erika, a completely unexpected person in regards to what the humans were going to think about at the conference, kills 6 of them when they were playfully setting up a fake murder mystery. The scary thing is her presence alone, talking about riddles and being a mystery lover, probably has a hand in affecting the atmosphere during the days and putting the family in the mood to actually enact these kind theatrics during those 2 days of their lives.
The 3rd is the aspect of the past that led up to the thoughts and feelings of the people going into the 2 days. This is the cumulative sum of all the knowledge that is shown about past events, that affect the people during the 2 days. Their burdens, past interactions, them thinking about why they did or didn't do certain things. Stuff like the things that happened between Kyrie and Rudolf and Asumu, or the battle between Eva and George in EP6 is a good example of this. An interesting idea is that most of Kinzo and his story revolves around this aspect of the series. This facet of events is affected by the 2nd aspects mostly through observation, slander or for reasoning. This was most greatly affected in EP7, with Bern changing the past through Lion, and even trying to sow together a different kind of representation of the 1st aspect's events. I thought this kind of feeling was captured in the mood, or unease, that various people have in the chapel during EP7.
The 4th aspect revolves around the future of the events. At first I was a little put off by people doubting the validity of the events in the future, but looking at it from this theory's perspective, it makes sense. Especially compared to the 3rd aspect of the series -- the past -- the future is a much more intangible thing. It's even ironic that this kind of intangible future, conveyed through Ange, is shown to be full of despair and a preoccupation for both the events and thoughts from the people on the island, and by extension the past of the people on the island (aspects 1 and 3). This aspect of the story is then most influenced by Bern's retrieval of Ange, and how that affected Ange's experiences, and through Featherine's meetings with Ange, giving her a completely new perception during her life in the future.
While writing this post, I realized the the 'mystery' of the whole series is something completely outside of these 4 fully encompassing angles of the series and setting. The mystery is something that weaves through and influences all of these different aspects. I guess it could be considered a 5th aspect. It is the reason people are observing and talking, the actuality of the events and possibilities of the human perspectives, saturated in the past of the people on the island, and what the future is greatly affected by. I would say just in the way Kinzo is firmly based in the past, Beatrice is firmly found in the mystery, being an entity highly involved with all the other parts of the series.
Spoiler for Higurashi Connection:
Bernkastel is the only forceful connection and/or possible influence from the Higurashi reality. Based on the reasonable logical conclusion of her character and personality in Umineko being how she ends up after going through the time/events surrounding Hinamizawa, I think we can view Bern as very tragic being through out these events, or more cohesively, through the When They Cry series. If you think about it, it's pretty crazy that after going through a similar sort of situation, where she felt alone and depressed, she is now taking this new situation and completely messing it up. Imagine if there were people like her around the time/events she was trapped by Takano. What would she have done if there were people messing around with her reality at the time (at least the present, what happens and the past)? I know this situation isn't completely applicable with Higurashi, because fundamentally Takano's methods didn't change and the past didn't matter as much to Rika when she had no present manipulation abilities, but I think overlaying the situation we have in Umineko on Higurashi would help to put the events of Umineko in perspective. The scope of what the meta characters are doing, I guess. I really hope Ryuu creates a fitting end for Bern's life.