Narrator and point of view

The short story “Will You Please Be Quiet, Please?” by Raymond Carver is told from the point of view of a third-person narrator. The story is told entirely from the perspective of the main character, Ralph Wyman, so the narrator is limited.

The narrator has no insight into Marian’s point of view at all. The readers can only guess her thoughts and feelings through her actions, which are seen through Ralph’s eyes. The descriptions of Marian’s actions are often mixed with descriptions of her physical attributes, which suggests that Ralph sees her as a sexual object:

She took up the cigaret she had burning in the ashtray, smoked it while she stared at the floor, and then put it back in the ashtray. She looked at him, and a warm expression moved across her face. She was tall and limber, with a good bust, narrow hips and wide wonderful eyes. (p. 174, ll. 5-9)

The narrator makes several assumptions about Marian, which may or may not be true and which are based on what Ralph thinks she is feeling. For instance: “She was sitting on...