Point of View

The novella is narrated in third-person past by a narrator who keep a close focalization on the main character, Dorothy. While the narrator seems like a standard and traditional narrator, as the novella approaches its conclusion, questions about the reliability of the narrator come into play. After Fred and Sandra die in their car accident, Larry runs off to hide in the ocean with a promise of meeting back up with Dorothy on the beach. However, Larry never comes back. This makes the reader question if Larry was ever real in the first place.

The narrator tells the story of Dorothy’s initial encounter and subsequent relationship with Larry as if it were all a matter of fact. However, there are hints in the narrative that suggest Dorothy might have been imagining the monsterman the whole time. For example, when Dorothy first hears about his...