Point of View

This novel is told in a multi-level way, much of it being in the third person through the eyes of the narrator, Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler, in the form of a letter to her attorney, Saxonberg. But there is enough dialogue between Jamie and Claudia that the reader feels as though the experiences are occurring first-hand. There is another layer, however, in the narration of Mrs. Frankweiler.

She interjects her viewpoint about how the adventure is going, what the children are experiencing, and what she thinks about pieces in the Museum. Mrs. Frankweiler also comments about Saxonberg's faults and limitations, and this allows readers to form an opinion of her before meeting her in Chapter 9.

The children's adventure is documented in a file, a copy of which is sent to Saxonberg in order to make a change in her Will, and in her own way, Mrs...