Point of View

Although the novel is written from the third-person point of view throughout, the narrative shifts its perspective from time to time, allowing the reader to see the neighborhood of NW and the world itself from the perspective of different characters, such as Felix, Natalie, and Leah. The perspectives of Natalie and Leah are important for the way that they complement one another and give the reader a fuller understanding of their individual characters and of their personality as a whole. They each have their own designated narrative: “Visitation” for Leah, and “Host” for Natalie. In “Visitation,” told through Leah’s perspective, the reader sees Natalie as snobbish and elitist, with a perfect life, husband, children, and home. For example, Leah observes Natalie at her home and wonders, “Leah watches Natalie stride over to her beautiful kitchen with her beautiful child. Everything behind those French doors...