Wieland

Wieland is written in the epistolary form in which the point of view character, Clara, is writing letters (epistles) to an unnamed correspondent, recounting the events leading up to the destruction of her family. The epistolary form was popular in the 18th and early 19th centuries, at a time when letter-writing was regarded among the educated classes as an art form and a means of entertainment. Some notable examples include Samuel Richardson's Pamela and Lady Susan by Jane Austen.

One of the intriguing things about the form is that unlike the simple first-person point of view, in which the narrator speaks to an anonymous reader, the writer of an epistolary narrative is speaking to a particular individual from whom she might have reason to conceal some aspect of the story. For example, in her letters, Clara might wish to deny or conceal any sexual attraction she might feel for Carwin, but she might speak more freely in her journal, which she didn’t expect anyone else to read. As a result, the reader of the novel is more likely to encounter an unreliable narrator.

The epistolary form allows the reader a significant opportunity to exercise their theory of mind—or what might be more commonly called “reading between the lines.