Point of View

The point of view of the novel is the third-person perspective This view is reliable, as is shown through the narrators ability to know the actions of the story, but also the narrators ability to know the inner thoughts and emotions of the primary character, Shell Talent. This point of view is important, as one of the primary themes in the novel is the depression and darkness that befalls the Talent family following the death of Moira. Without the third-person view, the readers would be unable to see the depth of alcoholism and despair of Joe Talent, and would be unable to fully grasp the effect of her death on the children in the family. Further, the storyline relies primarily on the view of the world as Shell sees it, and without the narrators explanations of Shell's thoughts and emotions, some of these views would not...