Point of View

The novel is written from the third person point of view. Over the course of the narrative, this third person narrator shifts between five of the Hildebrandt family members' perspectives. By dividing the narrative between Russ's, Marion's, Clem's, Becky's, and Perry's vantage points, the author is able to inhabit each of their distinct psyches and experiences. As the narrator moves behind these main characters' vantages, she assumes their particular internal concerns and struggles. For example, in Russ's opening section of the novel, the narrator describes Frances Cottrell via Russ's lens, saying: "Indeed, she was sagless, pouchless, flabless, lineless, an apparition of vitality in a snug paisley sleeveless dress, her hair naturally blond and boyishly short, her hands boyishly small and square. It was obvious to Russ that she'd be remarried soon enough" (6). Although the narrator does not draw attention to Russ until the second sentence...