Perspective

"Flush" by Virginia Woolf is told in the third-person and limited omniscient perspective. The story is told mainly from the perspective of Flush and to a lesser degree from that of Elizabeth Barrett Browning. The reader is privy to the thoughts and reactions of Flush as he encounters changes and conflicts in his life. From his perspective, the reader learns about Flush's hopes and dreams and about his resolve to be a loyal friend to Miss Barrett—despite the fact that he's had to sacrifice his freedom to do so.

The narrator explains that there are some things the two friends will never understand about each other. Flush can't imagine why Miss Barrett spends all day waving a black stick over a white paper. For her part, Miss Barrett is disturbed by Flush's moaning and whining for no apparent reason. But her senses of smell and hearing...