Knight uses the literary technique of an omniscient narrator to tell Lassie's adventures. This approach is the most effective way to present the viewpoints of all characters, including Lassie, without resorting to sentimental or unrealistic portrayals. An anthropomorphic Lassie would have made the novel seem silly and lessened its impact on readers. By showing Lassie's behavior and reactions to stimuli during her journey without assigning unrealistic motivations or emotions to her, Knight creates an authentic canine characterization. He does not minimize the struggles Lassie engages in or the physical toil she endures, and sometimes scenes are graphic. His depiction of humans is equally believable because of the mannerisms, facial expressions, and his explanation of underlying emotions that drive the public actions that are attributed to them. Cruelties and despair are convincingly depicted.

Figurative language creates appearances, landscapes, and situations with imagery and colors that come alive...