Narrator and point of view

The short story “Hope” by Jonathan Santlofer is told from the perspective of a third-person narrator.

The narrator gives us insight into Hope’s thoughts and feelings and also has access to what Artie is thinking. The perspective shifts repeatedly throughout the story. This enables us to see their relationship from both sides. However, it also hides the character’s thoughts and feelings during important moments. For instance, we do not know what Hope thinks, or even how she reacts, when Artie does not offer her any support after she shares the details of her abortion with him: “Artie listens, afraid to say anything wrong because once when he said, ‘But you wanted to do his’, she snapped: ‘No one wants to have an abortion!’ ” (ll. 137-138). The scene is seen from Artie’s perspective, as we know what he thinks and remembers, but we have no insight into what Hope thinks and feels about Artie’s lack of reaction to her emotional story. 

The ...