Point of View

The short story is written from a third person limited point of view. This means that the third person narrator strictly follows and inhabits the consciousness of the main character Magna. By writing the short story from this narrative vantage, the author indicates that the story belongs to Magna. However, because the short story is not written from Magna's first person perspective, the author also illustrates the ways in which Magna's social and cultural contexts have made her believe she has no right to tell her own story. The narration specifically speaks to this notion during the scene where Magna converses with the university president. The narrator says, "In the president's office Magna had found it hard to explain herself . . . Was her story even a story" (191)? In this moment, the author illustrates the ways in which Magna constantly feels that her life and experiences are...