Jackaroo

What is the author's style in Jackaroo by Cynthia Voigt?

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Jackaroo is told from the third-person and limited point of view. Though the reader sees the events through Gwyn's eyes, the third-person narration allows us to see these events as objectively presented, and eliminates the possibility of an unreliable narrative. This makes the social injustices of the setting all the more enraging, as we both understand the objective reality and Gwyn's response to it. Furthermore, the limited narration makes Gwyn's actions seem reasonable and even inevitable for the reader: as we become further enmeshed in her world we see the Jackaroo disguise as one of her only means of escape, and the narrative encourages the reader's support of Gwyn's antics. However, because the narration is limited, it also allows for surprises and even shocks. When the group is lost in the blizzard, the reader cannot know if Burl and the Lord are safe, as Gwyn does not know herself. We also cannot know what will happen to her if she continues as Jackaroo, until she discovers Uncle Win's fate along with the reader. The point of view thus creates a believable world that is at once objectively described and emotionally powerful.

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Jackaroo