Point of View

The point of view in Pictures of Hollis Woods is first person. This point of view is limited and reliable which can be seen by the fact that the narrator, Hollis Woods, can only report on her own thoughts and feelings, not the thoughts and feelings of other characters. In fact, if Hollis were privy to other characters' thoughts, the novel would not contain a dilemma. Hollis tells her story, alternating between the time she spends with Josie and the time she spent with the Regans the previous summer. Occasionally, she mentions her life before the Regans in various foster homes from which she ran. This point of view is important to the novel as it allows the focus of the narrative to remain on Hollis' life and adoption.

This novel is written using approximately three-quarters exposition with the remaining quarter being written through dialogue. This...