Narrator and point of view

The short story “Let’s Go to the Videotape” by Fiona Maazel is told by a third-person narrator. A number of features characterise this narrator.

The narrator’s point of view is limited to Nick’s perspective so the narrator presents his thoughts, wishes, and emotions: “… which often felt to Nick like trying to grow a happy boy in the soil of their misfortune” (ll. 5-6). The narration also follows the action as Nick sees and experiences it. For example, the reader cannot know what Gus is doing in his room while he makes his film or what he is doing at school because Nick himself does not know. 

Therefore, the reader experiences the events through Nick’s perspective, which makes us sympathise with him - at least to begin with.

The feelings of the other chara...