Point of View

Each story in Dream Country focuses on a protagonist. Madoc is the protagonist of "Calliope," and his story is told by a third-person, semi-omniscient narrator. The reader is able to see Madoc's thoughts and his rationalization of the imprisonment and abuse of Calliope. However, the point of view shifts to Calliope when she calls on the other muses for help, and also at the end of the story, after Calliope is freed from Madoc. The point of view is only semi-omniscient, however, since the reader only sees Madoc's thoughts. Similarly, the reader goes inside Rainie's mind in "Façade." However, she narrates her own thoughts, feelings, and dreams. Since the whole story is exclusively from Rainie's point of view, guided by her narration, the perspective is first person.

In "A Midsummer Night's Dream" and "A Dream of a Thousand Cats," the narration is third-person limited. The...