Narrator and point of view

The short story “Cold Calling” by Chuck Palahniuk is a first-person account of the main character, Bill Henderson.

The events are narrated from Bill’s point of view. Bill has limited knowledge of the other characters or what is about to happen. This is why we do not know that Samantha is a white girl until Bill finds out: “And the girl lifted one hand, slow, and pointed a fingernail at a girl across the lunchroom. A white girl. With long blond hair. Wearing a cheerleader outfit.” (p. 129, ll. 17-19)

We also do not know anything else about the characters’ background other than what Bill knows or what they reveal through dialogue: “She says, ‘As a member of Amnesty International, I spent every extra penny in my fight to get a decent living wage ...