Narrator and point of view

In the story “How I Learnt to be a Real Countrywoman” by Deborah Moggach, the main character, Ruthie, is also the first-person narrator. 

The narrator, Ruthie, is a young woman who is married to Edwin and who has three children. Most of the story is a flashback to the previous year, particularly to the period when Ruthie decided to save the local wood from being destroyed by a ring road: “I didn't know much about natural history when all this happened, last Christmas.” (ll. 131-132). Everything the readers know is told from Ruthie’s perspective. She presents only her opinion on what happens, and readers do not have an insight into Edwin’s thoughts and feelings.

The narrator could also be considered biased, since Ruthie is often ironic or sarcastic when it comes to country life or to her husband: “Once, he found a £5 note in Oxford Circus and took it to the police. They were as taken aback as I was. Nobody claimed it, of course, because nobody thought anyone could be that decent.” (ll. 243-245). An...