Point of View and Narration

"Souvenir" is narrated in the third person, a narrative form sometimes referred to as omniscient. The narrative voice does not always explicitly describe the thoughts or feelings of the characters; rather, the reader can often judge them by what the characters do or say. Instead of writing "Kate was upset," the narrator tells the reader that Kate sat "for a long time"over the same cup of coffee, remembering something unpleasant that seems to have no connection to her mother's illness. The reader surmises her feelings from what is described. On the other hand, when she talks with her mother in the hospital, the narrative recounts that Kate "felt her heart begin to open. . . ."

Foreshadowing

Kate's thoughts following the Valentine's Day telephone call to her mother offer instances of foreshadowing, or hints of what is to come in the story. She thinks about the...