Narrator and point of view

Raymond Carver’s short story: “Jerry and Molly and Sam” is told from the perspective of a limited third-person narrator. The narrator follows the point of view of the main character, Al, presenting his thoughts and feelings in great detail.

The narrator has access to Al’s mind, giving the reader insight into the character’s thought process:

He saw his whole life a ruin from here on in. If he lived another fifty years-hardly likely-he felt he 'd never get over it, abandoning the dog. He felt he was finished if he didn't find the dog. A man who would get rid of a little dog wasn't worth a damn. That kind of man would do anything, would stop at nothing. (p. 126, ll. 13-18)

At the same time, the narrator does not have access to the thoughts and feelings of any of the other characters, and they are presented through Al’s eyes. Since Al is a resentful man...