How do they communicate on the same subject?
The author uses the third person limited perspective, meaning the narrator tells the story but has limited insight into the events..... she has not personally experienced them. Ayer doesn't know the the acutal thoughts and feelings of Helen and Alfons, her main subjects, thus, she is unable to convey her own thought because this isn't her story.
Other portions of the book are told in the first person point. These sections are the ones, in which, Helen and Alfons are sharing their stories. This perspective allows for an authentic, personalized view of the main subjects. In the second chapter, for exaple, Helen says, "I was a happy teenager like my girl friends, with one exception. I went on to the university, something my mother never understood."
Parallel Journeys
