Narrator and point of view

The short story “The Christmas Tin” by Amanda Craig is a third-person narration, in which the narrator is mostly limited to the perspective of Polly, the main character (with one exception at the end). This means that the narrator tells us how Polly sees the world around her and often acts like a voice for her; this does not happen with the other characters. For example, the narrator describes Polly’s relationship with her young children; in this description, the narrator also conveys Polly’s feeling of being overwhelmed by them:

The violence and passion of their love consumed her, even as she offered herself up to them willingly. They were as jealous of her work as if it were another lover, constantly complaining about it, interrupting it and asking for her help with their homework because she was all-wise and all-knowing. (ll. 64-67)

At the same time, the narrator informs the readers about other aspects of the main character’s life. For example, the narrator states:...