Point of View

Paula Hawkins tells her novel “The Girl on the Train” in the first-person limited-omniscient perspective from the points of view of the three primary female characters – Rachel, Anna, and Megan. Because the novel is of the mystery and suspense genre, the limited-omniscient aspect allows the reader to know only as much as the characters do, adding elements of reality, apprehension, the unknown, and anxious confusion. Because the novel is about the lives of those three women – Rachel, Megan, and Anna – all intersecting in one way or another, Hawkins allows them to tell their stories themselves. This allows the author to give her three women three distinct voice, and allows deep and penetrating insight into their lives, thoughts, and motives – all of which adds to the overall mystery.

Language and Meaning

Paula Hawkins tells her novel “The Girl on the Train” in language that is brief...