Point of View

The novel is written in the first person and is told entirely from the protagonist’s point of view. While the reader can only interpret the thoughts and feelings of other characters through the information conveyed by the protagonist, the reader has direct access to the protagonist’s thoughts and feelings, because she conveys that information directly to the reader through narration. This narrative choice centralizes the narrative around the protagonist, who acts as a conduit through which the readers may engage with the various moral and emotional questions posed by the narrative.

However, the readers are also able to engage with the supposed inner truths of other characters via the protagonist’s observations. The protagonist is an astute and somewhat voyeuristic person, and so she keeps a close eye on people of interest around her. For example, she becomes very invested in the drama...