Point of View

The short story “Rainbows” is written from the first person point of view of the main character Clodagh. By writing the short story from the protagonist’s first person vantage point, the author derives the entirety of the narrative conflict and tension from Clodagh’s relationships with others and her regard for herself and the world around her. Because Clodagh’s insular lens dictates the presentation and the course of the short story, the reader learns to rely upon her perspective for guidance into and through the narrative world.

Over the course of the short story, Clodagh’s character proves to be blinded by privilege, and thus unaware of the ways in which her prejudicial mindset is impacting her perception of the world and those around her. Because “Looking backward isn’t a trait” of Clodagh’s, her narrative resists self-reflection (41). For this reason, the...