Point of View

The book is written in both the first-person and third-person points of view. In both cases, the thoughts and opinions of Marian McAlpin are explored. In the opening part of the book, Marian talks to readers directly about her life and challenges in the present tense. Once she has decided to marry Peter and conform to the person she is expected to be, the book becomes an outsider’s look into her life. When Marian later rejects the proposal and takes back her individuality, the book goes back to narrating from the first-person viewpoint.

The difference between the viewpoints demonstrates the changes that are taking place in Marian’s life and personality as the book progresses. After accepting Peter’s proposal, Marian feels that she is losing control of her own voice and readers feel that loss too when she stops narrating in the first-person...