Narrator and point of view

The short story “Galveston” by Frederick Barthelme is told by a first-person narrator who is also the main character.

The narrator is subjective and may also be biased. He makes assumptions about the other characters which may or may not be true. For instance, the narrator makes many assumptions about Rachel and why they got married. He assumes that Rachel wanted to get married for the same reasons he did. This reveals his inability to relate to another person’s perspective.

The narrator is also very self-absorbed and does not appear to be particularly observant. For instance, he does not remember anything about his wife’s family, except that they wear khakis. His memories of the Utah trip are disjointed, and none of it has to do with how his...