Point of View

Clark is the story’s narrator. He narrates in the past tense and the first person from his perspective. However, Georgiana is the more central character, and so Clark’s narration functions as third-person narration when exposition upon Georgiana’s life and actions. Clark is aware of the general facts of Georgiana’s life, but he does not direct have access to Georgiana’s thoughts, emotions, and general interiority. Thus, both Clark and the reader must infer Georgiana’s thoughts and emotions based on Clark’s observations.

Through this lens of perspective, Georgiana’s character arc appears to be presented as generally tragic. When Georgiana arrives I’m Boston, Clark’s observations describe Georgiana as generally work down, both physically and emotionally, by her hard life in rural Nebraska. Moreover, Clark’s observations and recollections emphasize the idea that Georgiana is miserable for having been...