Point of View

The point of view in Riders of the Purple Sage is presented in the third person. The major characters consist of two pairs of would-be lovers, Jane Withersteen paired with Lassiter, and Bern Venters paired with Bess. However, at the outset of the novel, prior to the introduction of Lassiter and Bess, Jane and Venters are an established couple with a romantic, albeit platonic, friendship. Although this initial pairing quickly dissolves, the author chooses to follow Jane and Venters throughout the story, and they are his main protagonists. This choice is underscored by the fact that the only two viewpoints presented in the narration are Jane's and Venters'. Never does the narrative intrude into the mind of the great Lassiter, nor is the reader privy to the inner workings of Bess' mind. Yet the reader learns Jane's point of view and shares her inner struggle to...