Point of View

The narrative is written from the third person, limited omniscience point of view. Its primary focus is on Lizabeth, her perceptions, thoughts, actions and reactions. It also focuses on the same aspects of Matt's character, but to a lesser degree. In other words, the reader comes to know more about Lizabeth than about Matt, but enough about Matt to give him both depth and appeal. A possible reason for this particular narrative choice might be the apparent target audience for this novel, and indeed for many narratives (film, television, plays) of this genre - women. There is a sense that the novel's narrative focus takes the form it does so that readers can have a central character with which they can, and perhaps want to, identify.

In storytelling terms, the choice of giving both central characters a degree of narrative focus means that right from the...