Point of View

"Sophistication" is told in the third person omniscient, meaning that readers have access to the thoughts of both George and Helen. The narrator, who is not to be confused with the author, succeeds in moving readers into George's mind for the purpose of identification with a young man on the brink of maturity. In the same way, the narrator explains how Helen feels: "What George felt, she in her young woman's way felt also. She was no longer a girl and hungered to reach into the grace and beauty of womanhood." At the same time, the narrator remains somewhat distant. The distance created by a third-person point of view helps instill a tone of wistfulness to the moment of discovery between the young couple.

Setting

The setting for "Sophistication" is the small midwestern town of Winesburg, Ohio. More specifically, the social hubbub created by the county...