Point of View

The novel is written in both the first person and third person omniscient points of view. It is told in first person in the form of a dialogue between Ophelia and George, and then switches to third person omniscient narration when looking over the shoulder of Mama Day. The dialogue portion of the novel is written to allow George and Ophelia to tell the story of their relationship. The third person point of view allows us to share Mama Day’s thoughts and observations as well as her actions through the voice of the narrator. This allows a much larger scope for the story.

The novel offers a very intimate point of view, not only into the personal relationship of a married couple, but also into the mind of a woman whose age and experience has made her both powerful and wise. This allows the...