Narrator and point of view

The short story “The Skirt” by Zoe Lambert is told by the main character, Bethany, who is a first-person narrator. The narration is presented entirely through her point of view, so we have direct insight into her thoughts and feelings, and come to understand all the other characters through her perspective. This naturally limits the readers' understanding of other characters' thoughts and motives. For example, when she claims that “Rob didn’t want to come. He hadn’t got over the wheelchair thing and he had his graffiti artist image to worry about” (ll. 5-6), the readers are not sure whether he has told her this or whether she is just assuming it from his actions or attitude.

The narration is generally explicit about Bethany’s physical disability and problems: “I shifted my arms in the sheets, heavy as if in a half-dream. An ache hummed down my back. T...