Point of View

The author tells the entire story from Philip’s point of view because it allows her to keep the reader wondering about Rachel and her motives for being in England. Philip is not a reliable narrator because his feelings about Ambrose and Rachel color his perception of the events. In the beginning, his love for Ambrose and grief at Ambrose’s death leads him to suspect Rachel of poisoning Ambrose. Later, when he becomes enamored with Rachel, his feelings cause him to deny that she could have had anything to do with Ambrose’s death and that she is a woman solely after money, despite Ambrose’s and Nick Kendall’s warnings. Because the reader does not have insight into what Rachel is thinking or what she is doing when Philip is not there to witness her actions, there is no way of knowing for...