Point of View

Still Life is written from a third person omniscient point of view. The author utilizes this perspective in order divulge the inner thoughts and emotions of all the characters, including the parrot. This lens allows Winman to explore the individual experiences of a group of people whose lives intersect and enmesh, without placing a hierarchy on their experiences. Peggy’s struggle to escape East London, Ulysses longing for a new life, Evelyn’s youthful romance, and Alys’ coming of age all carry an equal weight in the narrative. The reader is able to develop an emotional connection to each character and sympathize with their individual struggles and triumphs. If the author had written Still Life through the first-person point of view of one character, or a third person limited lens, the narrative would have only given validity to the experience of one individual.

Winman also...