Point of View

Yoko Ogawa tells her novel “The Housekeeper and the Professor” from the first-person reflective point of view from the perspective of main character, the Housekeeper. The Housekeeper is relating her story to the reader some years after the majority of the novel has occurred in 1992. She directly addresses the reader, talking about events that occurred back then, noting that it was indeed March of 1992 when things began. The novel includes the Professor’s death 11 years later, in 2003, and even then, the Housekeeper speaks about these events as if they have occurred in the past. As a result, the novel is a reflection on past events personally experienced by the Housekeeper. The Housekeeper is thus able to describe not only her experiences, but her thoughts and feelings based on those experiences – such as her reaction to the Professor’s 80-minute memory, and how her mind and...