Point of View

The book is introduced by a short preface which is in the first person, and tells why the author chose to tell this story. The author is inspired by his encounter with the excavation of the tombs of the convent of Santa Clara. The rest of the book is in the third person point of view. The narrator is an omniscient narrator, one who knows the thoughts of all the characters. The first chapter of the book gives a general account of the incident of the slight biting of Sierva by a rabid dog and how the characters in the novel react to this. It gives a description of the circumstances of the girl and primarily of the girl's mother, Bernarda. The book also tells of her father the Marquis's attempts to help the girl and his trip to Dr. Abrenuncio. The second chapter is a...