The Impact of Point of View in "Souls Belated"

The author's perspective greatly affects how readers perceive events in literature. The chosen point of view not only influences readers' perception and interpretation, but also determines what they can see. The point of view helps readers understand events by drawing conclusions based on available information. In "Souls Belated," Edith Wharton uses point of view to reveal the inner thoughts of each character individually while concealing the thoughts of the other character. This technique ultimately highlights the contrasting mindsets of both characters.

Wharton achieves this by revealing Lydia's thoughts to the readers while concealing Gannett's thoughts. In the exposition, Lydia narrates the story in third person, granting readers direct insight into her thoughts. However, understanding Gannett's thoughts relies on Lydia's depiction: "He was thinking of it now, just as she was; they had been thinking about it in unison ever since they had entered the train" (673). As readers lack direct access to Gannett's mind, his true thoughts remain unknown. Yet, currently there is no substantial reason to question Lydia's interpretation of events.

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The effectiveness of the third-person-limited point of view lies in its ability to present Lydia's thoughts, opinions, and interpretations as facts. If Wharton had chosen a first-person perspective from Lydia's viewpoint, the narrative would clearly be subjective, making readers skeptical of Lydia's perception. Conversely, an omniscient narrator would provide insight into both Gannett's and Lydia's thoughts, eliminating any doubt. The actual third person narrator appears impartial and detached from the action, leading readers to accept their statements as facts. However, the limited point of view raises uncertainty about the accuracy of Lydia's view of Gannett, leaving readers to question whether it should be accepted at face value.

This creates the subtle suspense in the story.

Wharton enhances the anticipation by implying that Lydia is familiar enough with Gannett to understand his thoughts, or at least she believes she is: "now that he and she were alone she knew exactly what was passing through his mind; she could almost hear him asking himself what he should say to her..." (673). This not only reinforces readers' willingness to accept Lydia's interpretation of Gannett's thoughts and feelings, but it also encourages empathy towards her. Lydia comprehends Gannett's thoughts and dreads them. As readers are privy to Lydia's thoughts but not Gannett's, they cannot help but view the situation from her perspective.

In order to understand why Lydia dreads Gannett speaking to her, readers must have an understanding of her personality. The point of view aids in this by allowing readers to gauge Lydia's personality through her reactions to her own memories. For instance, when Lydia reflects on her ex-husband and why she left him, she admits that she preferred to blame him for all the reasons she left him. However, she only left him after meeting Gannett (673). This suggests that Lydia initially lacked self-confidence and couldn't leave her husband until she had someone else to depend on. Furthermore, Lydia's discovery of this truth was unsettling to her self-image, indicating that she is aware of her insecurity and it bothers her. Although Lydia desires independence, she hasn't fully achieved it yet.

Understanding this aspect of Lydia's personality helps readers comprehend why she struggles against dependency. Specifically, Lydia resists marrying Gannett because she sees it as a tempting form of dependence. She worries that marrying him would cause her to lose her newfound sense of self after leaving her husband, and she also fears that Gannett would lose his identity in their marriage. Lydia believes that by seeing Gannett as a means of her liberation and resisting any inclination to possess him as a wife, she can maintain the dignity of their relationship (675). However, she acknowledges that it is becoming increasingly challenging to maintain this perspective, noting that she is finding it difficult to focus on the crucial issue of parting with Gannett (675). The narrator subtly hints at Lydia's growing dependency on Gannett, yet she continues to resist it.

The portrayal of Lydia's personality by Wharton reveals clear differences between her and the limited understanding readers have of Gannett. The narrator's perspective restricts readers' knowledge of Gannett to what Lydia herself knows. Readers are aware of Gannett's words, actions, and Lydia's assumptions of his thoughts, but are unable to directly observe his thoughts. Even when the narrative momentarily shifts to a more all-knowing point of view, the narrator can only comment, "He looked at her hopelessly. Nothing is more perplexing to man than the mental process of a woman who reasons her emotions" (678).

Despite the uncertainty surrounding Gannett's thoughts, the narrative primarily focuses on his actions and offers a general statement. However, it remains unclear if this statement accurately depicts Gannett's actual thoughts or if it merely reflects Lydia's perspective on his mindset. Consequently, readers are left wondering about Gannett's true thoughts and become emotionally invested in Lydia's desire to uncover them.

After Wharton builds up enough anticipation, she finally satisfies the readers' curiosity by shifting the viewpoint and giving them access to Gannett's thoughts. This shift also aligns with a crucial plot twist, occurring at the start of their final conversation in the hotel room, just before Lydia suggests that the only solution to their relationship is for her to leave him. "Gannett threw away his cigarette; the sound of her voice made him want to see her face" (685). This limited glimpse into Gannett's thoughts is the first time readers can directly perceive them. The shift becomes even more pronounced throughout the conversation. "She sank again on the sofa, hiding her face in her hands.... Gannett stood above her perplexedly; he felt as though she were being swept away by some implacable current while he stood helpless on its bank" (688). Now, the roles are reversed: readers can understand Gannett's emotional state through the narrator's descriptions, but they have to infer Lydia's emotions from her words and actions.

It is important to note that the viewpoint shift occurs before Lydia suggests leaving Gannett. This shift brings about a change in tone and allows readers to understand Gannett's desires and emotions, eliciting sympathy for him. Furthermore, this shift distances readers from Lydia's thoughts, decreasing their sympathy for her. However, their sympathy for Lydia does not overshadow their sympathy for Gannett. Hence, when Lydia mentions leaving him, readers do not view it as a desirable outcome. Due to their newfound empathy for both characters, they dislike anything that would cause pain to either of them. Consequently, an action causing pain to both characters would be especially unfavorable.

Wharton expresses her sympathy for Gannett by narrating the final section of the story from his perspective. Through this narrative choice, Wharton addresses several questions that Lydia and the readers have. For example, the readers now gain insight into Gannett's perception of marriage, especially his marriage to Lydia. Gannett feels obligated to Lydia and is burdened by feelings of pity and self-reproach. He compares Lydia's situation to that of a prisoner, as if she is bound to him like Latude returning to his cell. Gannett not only assumes responsibility for Lydia but also feels a paternal instinct towards her, seeing her as a vulnerable individual he needs to protect. These attitudes contrast with Lydia's pride and her desire for independence.

As Gannett watches Lydia walk away from the hotel, his thoughts continue:

If there was any discernible thought amidst the chaos of his emotions, it was that he should release her if she desired it. The previous night, he had mentioned his entitlements: what significance did they hold? Ultimately, he and she were distinct individuals in the end, not fused into one through the extraordinary acts of patience, responsibilities, and sacrifices they shared. Instead, they were intertwined in a suffocating whirlpool of intense desire that compelled them to resist yet cling to each other as they faced their demise together. (690)

The statement reveals Gannett's genuine perspective on marriage, considering it as a spiritual union that would grant him some kind of entitlement to Lydia. This viewpoint not only contradicts Lydia's perception of marriage but also clashes with what she believes Gannett's standpoint to be.

The contrast between Gannett's and Lydia's sentiments about marriage is emphasized by their isolated perspectives. This separation serves as a reminder to the readers that while they have insight into both Lydia's and Gannett's thoughts, the characters themselves are unaware of each other's thinking. Each character is completely disconnected, relying solely on the interpretation of the other character's words and actions to intuit their thoughts. Similarly, readers must interpret the thoughts of each character based on their words and actions.

The same isolation that allows readers to see this limitation is also the same isolation that ironically conceals this limitation from both characters. Lydia, for instance, believes she knows exactly what is on Gannett's mind, despite her own uncertainty which makes Gannett's thoughts so unsettling for her. Similarly, Gannett later feels that Lydia is entering a world where nobody would comprehend or sympathize with her, and he, who does understand and sympathize, is unable to help her. If Gannett truly comprehended and sympathized with Lydia, he would have realized that she is too independent to desire his pity.

At the conclusion of the story, there is a notable change in perspective as Wharton adopts an omniscient and objectively descriptive narrator. As Gannett observes Lydia departing from the boat and returning to the hotel, he occupies a seat by a table. He finds a Bradshaw at his side, and without being aware of his actions, he begins to search for train schedules to Paris... The point of view's distance mirrors Gannett's disconnectedness from his own emotions. Acting mechanically, he is unaware of his actions because he does not understand his feelings. In essence, the narrative's distance reflects the overwhelming numbness of the conflicting emotions experienced by both Lydia and Gannett. Each of them must accept their fate and marry the person they love.