Narrator and point of view

The short story “The Man Who Loved Flowers” by Stephen King is told by an omniscient narrator with multiple points of view.

The narrator focuses on the young man, but describes him from an external point of view for the majority of the story: “The young man crossed Sixty-third Street, walking with a bounce in his step and that same half-smile on his lips.” (p. 175, ll. 21-22). The focus is on his appearance or external reactions. This means that we initially do not get that much insight into the young man’s thoughts and his dark secret of being a murderer.

The external view of the young man is mirrored by the fact that the narrator frequently views him through the eyes of the other characters. For instance, the narrator has insight into the flower vendor’s thoughts about the young ...