Point of View

The story is told from the first person, past tense point of view—specifically, that of Laurie, who is also the narrative's protagonist. As is the case with most, if not all, first person narratives, this stylistic choice draws the reader into the story with an immediacy and intimacy that brings the events of the story, and the emotions associated with them, into clear, personal focus. As is also the case with such narratives, its perspective is limited—because the narrator's insight is limited; he only knows his own experiences for certain and he can offer only assumptions and guesses as to the motivation and experiences of other characters. In the case of this narrator, while it might be interesting to gain insight into the psyches and experiences of Pa, Martha, Ilse, or any of the other characters), it is equally as interesting to...