Point of View in Eudora Welty’s A Visit of Charity

Point of View in Eudora Welty’s A Visit of Charity

Every now and then point of view is worth writing about, because only every now and then is point of view actually seriously considered. In Eudora Welty’s “A Visit of Charity,” the third-person limited point of view of the little girl, Marian—her self-consciousness, descriptions, and fear—exactly portray what a little girl might experience in a nursing home.

To Marian, this is probably the first time in a nursing home. She is there simply because she wants to gain points; when asked who she would like to visit, Marian simply states, “any of them will do.” She brought flowers simply because they added a point, and hid her apple outside rather than have it accidentally considered to be a gift. Marian is a very self-conscious girl; she is deftly aware of all the point values associated with the visit and is wearing the same cap that “all the little girls were wearing that year.” While actually visiting the ladies, she is very afraid, as a young girl might be in a strange place, but is still mindful of her own affairs ...