Point of View

George Washington Gómez is written from the third person omniscient point of view. Although the novel is arguably a coming-of-age story tracing the birth, childhood, and teenage experiences of the protagonist Guálinto, the novel is not limited to Guálinto’s storyline. Therefore, the third person point of view grants the narrative an expansiveness and thematic complexity it would not otherwise have. For example, although Guálinto is born in Part I, Chapter 1, he remains an infant throughout the remainder of the section. Before Guálinto gains awareness of the world, therefore, the narrator is able to trace the stories and experiences of his family members, including Gumersindo, Lupe, Feliciano, and María. Perhaps most importantly, the narrator is able to provide the reader access to the scene of Guálinto’s father’s death and the promise that Feliciano makes him never...