Point of View

The novel is written from the first person point of view of the main character, Eszter. Eszter’s first person point of view, however, defies traditional formal parameters. Indeed, her account is written in the direct address. This means that Eszter is directing her account to another unnamed individual. From context clues, the reader deduces that the “you” to whom Eszter is speaking throughout the novel is her recently deceased lover. The first person direct address affects an intimate and confessional tone. Eszter is speaking to the lover throughout the entirety of The Fawn. Therefore, everything that she conveys on the page seems intended solely for this intimate other. For this reason, the reader might at times feel as if she is intruding upon Eszter’s narration, or as if she has access to a story that is only meant for the man with whom...