Point of View

This story is told almost entirely from the point of view of a third-person narrator. This narrator is not omniscient, but focuses on the viewpoints of Vivian and Malcolm. By focusing on Malcolm and Vivian’s points of view alternatively, Guillory allows the reader to know what is going on in each of these characters’ minds. This is particularly significant during the first day of Malcolm and Vivian’s time together. Vivian worries she is the cause of Malcolm’s bad mood: “She probably shouldn’t have been honest with Malcolm about that, but it wasn’t in her nature anymore to lie about her feelings. Though now she was worried that she’d ruined everything” (156). In reality, Malcolm is still upset about his argument with Miles.

The only exception to this third-person point of view comes in the form of the notes and letters...