The Belle of Amherst | Style

The Belle of Amherst Style

Points of View

Since the play is a one-woman show, everything is told from Emily's perspective. The audience never learns anything from any other viewpoint. It is Emily's story, and she tells it whimsically. Since Emily slips in and out of the past and, because her feelings and thoughts come through is sudden bursts of poetry, one can never be sure whether or not to trust her version of events. She is an unreliable narrator. She admits that though she believes in the truth, all truth is told on a slant.

Emily's is the only voice throughout the play. No other character appears on stage even though Emily interacts with them. She is omniscient and completely fallible. Emily admits to playacting for the sake of confusing her neighbors. She says she enjoys the game and views the village as her menagerie. The villagers are only given voice through Emily's mimicry. Emily controls everything...
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