Point of View

Lessons in Chemistry is told through omniscient narration. Garnus often switches perspectives mid-chapter. Characters whose points of view are described include Elizabeth, Calvin, Six-Thirty, Walter, and Harriet.

This narration style is especially useful in explaining Elizabeth and Calvin’s unique chemistry. Chapter 4 contrasts their passionate emotions with their awkward courtship: “Each time they’d met, he’d gone out of his way to prove that he had absolutely no interest in her beyond a professional capacity. He hadn’t offered to buy her coffee, he hadn’t volunteered to carry her lunch tray, he hadn’t even opened a door for her—including that time when her arms were so full of books he couldn’t even see her head” (33). For Elizabeth’s part, she interprets Calvin’s apparent coldness as proof of his indifference: “What a huge disappointment… They’d met six times in...