Point of View

The entire narrative is written in third person. Since there are a number of characters, using an omniscient narrator proves useful in this instance. Also, since the matter of reliability is very much at issue for the characters in the novel, the author avoids possible confusion on the part of the reader by keeping the narrator completely neutral. There is a great deal of dialogue in the novel, but it is well-balanced with passages which contain no conversation. Since the narrator of The Charm School is totally neutral, the reader has the opportunity to experience the same emotions as the characters in the novel. The narrator's style of address is casual without being overly familiar; always maintaining the integrity of the narrative thread. DeMille's narrator is more of a chronicler than anything. That is to say, the narrator simply tells the story as it happens. There...