Narrator and point of view

The short story “On the Beach” by Bret Easton Ellis is a first-person narrative, following the point of view of the narrator, a young man whose girlfriend is dying.

The first-person narrator has limited knowledge of the other characters or the events. He does not know what they think, what they will do, or how the events will unfold: “…Mona and Griffin, who seem to be getting closer but maybe not. I bet myself ten dollars that they will avoid walking over here.” (ll. 19-20)

The narrator’s perspective on his girlfriend and his actions might suggest that he is rather cold and superficial, something which makes his reliability questionable. ...