Point of View

“My Life” is told through first person narration, from Misail Poloznev’s point of view. This is fitting, given the title of the novella. Having the protagonist narrate the story is essential to making the reader invest in Misail’s plight. Through following Misail’s life over the course of twenty years, the reader gains an in-depth understanding of his values and lived experience.

This narration style remains consistent throughout the novella. Its perspective never changes, although the reliability of the narrator does. Towards the end of the story, when Masha is extremely sick, Misail momentarily loses his mind. In Chapter 19, all the important incidents of his youth merge into one feverish dream in which Misail can hardly distinguish reality from his imagination. While lying in his old shed he says, “I fancied that my sister was to come now and bring me supper, but...