Point of View

Jonathan Auxier relates his novel The Night Gardener in the third-person limited perspective from the point of view of an unnamed storyteller. The storyteller is reflective of the fact that the novel itself is full of stories told by storytellers, such as Hester and Molly. The narrative focuses primarily around Molly and Kip, though the narrator does spend limited amounts of time in consideration of other characters as well. This allows the narrator to fully explore and flesh out these characters. For example, Molly at first assumes Constance to be a cold and uncaring upper-class woman – but soon after learns that Constance is merely heartbroken and terrified for her family. The limited perspective of the narrator allows for suspense in the mystery of the Night Gardener, keeping readers on the edge of their seats. The narrator, the characters, and the readers never know what will...