Point of View

The majority of Balzac's novel is told from the perspective of the omniscient narrator. There are select portions of the narrative which feature a number of short messages and letters written by various characters in the first person. An example of such a letter can be found on page 135. In it, Stidmann writes to Wenceslas of his surprise over Wenceslas being put in jail. Another letter is from Johann Fischer (Adeline's once-wealthy uncle) to Baron Hector Hulot. Found on page 264, Fischer writes to tell the Baron that he (Fischer) does not have the 200,000 francs Hulot wants to borrow. In addition, by including notes written from the characters' perspectives, the author adds another layer to the story itself. Reading a character's thoughts and feelings expressed in his/her own words renders the action of the novel as more than one-dimensional. While the narrator's account of what happens...