Average Waves in Unprotected Waters

Tyler narrates the story through Bet, in third-person limited point of view. This means that readers are privy to Bet’s thoughts and observations but no one else’s. Being bound to her perspective is more intimate than an omniscient point of view would be, but it still offers readers some distance from her. That small separation allows readers to identify with Bet without having to metaphorically be the character, as would be the case with a first-person narrator. The gap between reader and protagonist also permits Tyler to be slightly less specific in delineating Bet’s identity, setting her up as more of a model or archetypal character.

Readers might question whether Bet is a reliable narrator. She is an exhausted, feeble woman in a life moment overwrought with conflicting emotions. Some of the key information Bet reveals comes from her memories, which are inherently fallible. While Bet may not be completely dependable regarding the truth, however, she is the only one who can convey her truth, which further develops her persona as an archetype.