Point of View

The story is told from a third-person, limited point of view. This means that readers see and hear only what one character sees and hears, and that readers are also privy to that character's thoughts. In "The Difference," all events are filtered through Margaret. Glasgow typically chooses one protagonist through which to view the action. This technique is particularly important to the development of the story—the reader can follow the transformation of Margaret's thought processes, leading to a better understanding of why she acts as she acts, and thus more deeply feel what she is going through. The reader is with Margaret as she feels the terror at the idea of losing her husband, grapples with her ideals about love, comes to re-evaluate Rose's relationship with George, makes the crucial decision to give her husband up, and finally faces failure even in that aspect...