Point of View

The story is told from the third person omniscient point of view, which means that an unnamed narrator has access to not only the events and activities in the story but also the thoughts and emotions of each character. For example, when Dennis arrives at Maggie's house to pick her up for their first date, Dennis thinks to himself that Maggie's house has an odd smell just like all the other girls he dates and that Sean's girlfriend's houses must smell of fine perfume.

Obviously, Maggie or her family cannot know what Dennis is thinking in this instance, but the observation and door into Dennis's thoughts provide more information about his past experiences and perceptions more quickly than the author could provide in dialogue. This point of view allows the reader to understand the scope of the relationship between the four friends while each of the...