"The Lovely Leave" is one of Parker's more fully narrated stories. A third-person, limited omniscient narrator tells the story from Mimi's point of view. This is entirely appropriate since the main issue in the story, the inability to communicate freely, arises from Mimi. Once Steve arrives, however, the dialogue between husband and wife takes over. Ironically, a great deal of conversation takes place about the fact that enough conversation is not taking place.

Dialogue alone could tell us much of Steve and Mimi's story, but the third-person narrator contributes significantly to the story's structure. Without it, there would be no flashback to establish a history of disappointing leaves, suggesting an ongoing problem that Mimi tries, but fails, to solve. Also, her elaborate preparations for his visit, which suggest the extent of her romanticism, are conveyed by the narrative voice. Finally, we learn about the rules of communication that...