Narration

"Women in Their Beds" is narrated in the third-person—that is, from the point of view of someone who is not involved in the situation described. However, this narrator has a perspective very closely aligned with that of Angela Anson, the deeply absorbed protagonist. The narrator has complete access to and knowledge of Angela's inner thoughts and feelings, but not those of any of the other characters. Frequently, the narration switches from third-person description to Angela's interior monologue. The boundary between the narrator and Angela is very fluid, as is the boundary between Angela and the patients she encounters, and the effect is moody and introspective.

The narration reflects Angela's state of mind in great detail, while representing the external reality only in a fragmentary way. For example, when one patient begs Angela to advocate for her to be allowed to go home, Angela's speech is briefly...