Point of View

The story is written in the past tense and the limited third person; Mr. Waythorn is the point-of-view character. The story often focuses on Mr. Waythorn’s inner turmoil caused by the reappearances of Alice’s ex-husbands. As Haskett and Varick become involved in various aspects of the Waythorns’ lives, Mr. Waythorn feels the weight of his wife’s past with new immediacy and urgency. Alice almost never speaks of her past, and at first, Mr. Waythorn seems content. However, as he encounters Haskett and Varick with increasing frequency, Mr. Waythorn feels a sense of instability due to a lack of firm knowledge about his wife’s past relationships. The story presents Mr. Waythorn as partially sympathetic, but he is also arguably an antagonist; he often views his wife in unhealthy, possessive ways and seems unable to fully trust her.

Meanwhile, the story provides some...