Point of View

For the most part, the story is narrated from the third person subjective point of view. The third person narrator, while describing events in a relatively objective manner, offers selective insight into the mind, perceptions and experiences of the character who is the focus of a particular chapter and whose life the events are affecting. For example, the first six chapters are narrated from the point of view of Mary Ann, whose opinions and reactions and thoughts are the only ones described. There is little or no insight into Connie, an otherwise important character in this section. Likewise, when DeDe (for example) is the central character in a chapter, even if she's relating to Mary Ann or Beauchamp, it's her thoughts and reactions portrayed, not theirs. It also happens, on occasion, that a chapter shifts point of view - the first part of a chapter can...