Point of View

The novel is written in first person from the perspective of an unnamed narrator. The narrator uses the word “I” sparingly so the reader may actually forget that there is a narrator. The majority of the novel reads as if it is from an omniscient perspective. The reader sees things from the perspectives of various characters, though with some limitations. For example, the final chapter of the novel focuses on Joan and Anne, the Russell twins. In that story, the perspective seems to be limited to Mrs. Russell. The reader sees Joan and Anne as they prepare for school that morning, but does not know if they continue to quarrel throughout the day. Instead, the perspective remains with Mrs. Russell throughout the day, though the reader knows only what she says and does, not what she is thinking. This is typical of the perspective in...