What's the Point? (Of View)

I thought that chapter 4 was somewhat uneventful, so I've decided to spend this blog discussing the point of view (POV) of the story.  In The House of Mirth, the author, Edith Wharton, uses for the most part a third person limited POV.  This means that an unknown narrator tells the story and focuses on one character.  For most of the story, Wharton chooses to focus on Lily Barth.  However, at some points, Wharton switches to more of a third person omniscient POV, describing the thoughts and feelings of other characters as well.  Characters such as Lawrence Selden and Gus Trenor have been portrayed with this style.  An example of this in chapter 1 can be found on page 1: "Selden had never seen her more radiant."  This unique combination allows Wharton to focus on the story of Lily while also developing other characters and keeping the story interesting by revealing different vantage points of the action.  Personally I like this method of storytelling.  There is definite depth in the character of Lily, but the story is not one-sided.  The use of other complex characters keeps the reader questioning Lily's motives and wondering how her decisions will impact the lives of the other characters.  Overall, it creates a more interesting, entertaining, and compelling book.  I appreciate Wharton's this unique style.