Point of View

The point of view in Difficult Women shifts between each short story. The majority of the stories are told from a first-person perspective, allowing the reader to establish an intimacy with the woman of interest and appreciate the complexity of thought and character motivating each protagonist’s decisions. Stories told in first-person perspective generally reveal full vulnerability of the characters, establishing an intricate balance of emotion and rationality founded upon knowledge of a characters’ backstory. Throughout the novel, the diversity behind different perspectives and experiences are represented through the alternating points of view. Gay expertly includes the point of view of mistresses, misunderstood women, the mentally challenged, and women with heightened sensitivity. The reader is able to quickly deduce the reliability of each character based on differences in their mannerisms, moral character, and perception to detail. A small proportion of stories are told from the...