Point of View

All but two chapters are written from the same unnamed narrator's point of view, with the other two being told as though the narrator were hovering closely above the narrator. At first, it feels as though Bennett's collection is meant to delve into a character's deep emotional development as she uses both past tense and present tense chapters to teach about the narrator's memories. However, it is revealed in "Lady of the House" that the narrator does not really leave her house, and has not done so for a very long time, leaving readers with several chapters that are not real memories but the narrator's imagination of a life she wishes included these events. She loses her grip on reality and, although most chapters are told from her point of view, it is important to also consider the shift in each chapters point of view...