Point of View

Though far from being a contemporary work of fiction, "Rilla of Ingleside" uses several points of view that contribute to a complex and textured narrative. The majority of the novel is told from the third-person limited point of view, focusing on Rilla herself. The reader is thus privy to her thoughts and feelings, without the extreme limits of the first person, or "I" voice. However, when necessary, Montgomery provides excerpts from Rilla's diary, which do give this more intimate portrait of Rilla and her development throughout the events of the novel. The juxtaposition between the two allows the reader to experience the actions and emotions of other characters in a more objective way than the exclusive use of the first person would, while the snippets from the diary allow for the intimacy of the first-person experience. This combination also allows the reader to judge for herself...