Point of View

Moon Tiger is told from many points of view, though the reader is left to wonder whether the points of view of characters other than Claudia are omnisciently provided or whether they have been filtered through Claudia’s reconstruction of them. As explained in the description of perceptual relativism as a theme of the novel, the stylistic technique of shifting perspectives is central to the novel’s power. Lively has demonstrated in structure what she has said in content. Claudia’s reflections on history are very clearly manifested in the novel’s stylistic devices.

Setting

The novel shifts from place to place on one level—the level of memory—while remaining anchored to one place: Claudia’s nursing home. This roving quality in a static frame gives the novel the restlessness of movement while also creating the sense of something coming towards the immobile reader...