Narrator and point of view

The short story “They’re Not Your Husband” by Raymond Carver is told from the point of view of a third-person narrator who appears to have access to Earl’s thoughts and feelings. Since the story is told from Earl’s perspective, the narrator is limited.

We have no insight into the thoughts and feelings of the other characters. In the scene where Doreen extracts ice cream from the container, she is described from Earl’s point of view. We could also assume this is also how Earl imagines that the two men in business suits might see her:

She reached down into the container and with the dipper began to scoop up the ice cream. The white skirt yanked against her hips and crawled up her legs. What showed was girdle, and it was pink, thighs that were rumpled and gray and a little hairy, and veins that spread in a berserk display. (p. 21, ll. 12-17)

The narration is explicit when descri...