Point of View

The novel is written from both Amanda Wordlaw’s and Catherine Shuger’s first person points of view. Chapters 1 - 63 and “Epilogue” and “Prologue” are written from Amanda’s perspective. “The Stuffed Elephant,” “The Letter Opener,” “Before I Enter I Know There Are Changes,” “Busy Work,” “Amanda Is Sitting Across from Me,” “I’d Grab the Wrong Part,” “Such a Question,” “His Shadow,” “Eating Beauty,” “Aren’t You Going to Introduce Me to the Artist?,” “Introducing Gwendola,” “Portrait,” “The Gallery Director Shows Surprise,” “That Time Ern Saw Something,” “Ambition, or Hearing the Bitch,” and “Dear Amanda Mariner Wordlaw” are written from Catherine’s perspective.

Amanda’s narrative voice and tone are emotionally unaffected and detached. In Chapter 3, when Amanda introduces herself to the reader, she says that she is “a choice companion for the Shugers,” because she is a “professional watcher and listener” (11). As a...