Point of View

The novel is told in the third person limited point of view. In the third person limited point of the view, the reader follows one particular character and is only privy to his or her internal thoughts. The narrative never contains first person pronouns such as "I" or "we," but the point of view remains consistent with one specific character. In this case, the third person point of view is limited to Janie. The reader moves through the story guided by Janie's thoughts and actions, although Janie speaks directly to the reader. As the novel follows only Janie's perspective, the reader is not told of the other characters' internal thoughts or feelings. The author employs this point of view so readers will sympathize with Janie's situation. When Janie first sees the face on the milk carton, readers can relate to her emotions as she is asking...