Point of View

"Her First Ball" is written from a third-person perspective with limited access to Leila's thoughts. Mansfield remains true to her traditional narration by making use of free indirect discourse throughout the story. Free indirect discourse is a literary term that denotes moments in third-person narration when the narrator assumes the voice of a particular character as if they were speaking in first person. In the cab on the way to the ball, for example, the narrator says, "Oh dear! How hard it was to be indifferent like the others!" (1). This exclamation conveys Leila's exact thoughts without pushing the story into a fully first-person point of view. These moments of free indirect discourse continue throughout the story as Leila arrives at the dance hall and eventually dances with a handful of partners. This narrative point of view is significant because it underscores Leila's innocent and inexperienced...