Point of View

Sophie's Choice is written predominantly in the first person narrative style. Our narrator is Stingo himself, several years further down life's road. By making the narrator an older Stingo, the author brings a sense of maturity and thoughtful reflection to the narrator's recollection of his young life, which is often the case in a coming of age tale. Wisdom and maturity are also provided by the character of Stingo's father, who, through his letters, takes over the first person narrative from time to time throughout the novel. The only other character given this privilege is Sophie, whose first person descriptions of her former life are quoted at length by Stingo. Given Stingo's often expressed suspicions of Sophie, it is most likely he quotes her directly on the occasions when he believes she is lying - as if to protect his own reputation, he reports her lies...