Point of View

For the most part, the narrative unfolds from the third person, omniscient point of view; that is, from the perspective of a narrator who is able to discern and comment on the thoughts of all the characters. The point is not made to suggest that each chapter is defined by the perspectives of a number of characters, but rather to point out that at various/successive times in the narrative, various individual perspectives are the focus. A good example can be found in the latter half of the novel, where chapters that follow Mma Ramotswe's investigation alternate with chapters following the investigations of Mma Makutsi. Each chapter focuses on, and is defined by, the actions, reactions, insights and contemplations of each of the characters.

A particularly interesting manifestation of this technique can be found in chapter seven, which contains a mid-chapter shift in point of view...