Point of View

The novel is written from the first person point of view of the unnamed main character. By allowing her protagonist’s voice to guide the narrative from beginning to end, the author is locating her thematic explorations within the context of the first person narrator’s physical, emotional, and psychological experiences. This means the narrative structure and form, its mood, atmosphere, and tone all originate from the narrator’s consciousness. The way that she sees, processes, and regards the world around her in turn dictates the way she renders the narrative world on the page.

The first person narrator’s voice is meandering and philosophical, meditative and reflective at once. The author establishes these facets of the narrator’s voice and tone within the opening page of Chapter I. While watching her husband play with her daughter through “the rain-smudged window,” the narrator observes how...