Point of View

The Foundling is written from the first person perspective of Mary Engle, the protagonist. This point of view is crucial to the unfolding of the novel as the novel is largely about Mary’s moral awakening. When Mary first meets Dr. Vogel she is awed by the woman because of her professional accomplishments which far succeed that of nearly all women at the time. This awe leads her to believe everything the doctor teaches about eugenics and protecting those deemed to be morally unfit. Because the novel is told from the first person perspective, the reader is aware of the discrepancies between what Mary believes about the Village and what she actually sees, but Mary herself does not question what she sees for quite some time. This first person perspective allows the reader to understand just how little Mary is willing to consider as well...