Posted by Andrew Craig-Bennett on October 18, 2005 at 14:24:12 from 213.38.124.194 user ACB.
In Reply to: Re: Questions about Nancy posted by Peter H on October 18, 2005 at 13:09:08:
Nancy is observed, not an observer. We see things through the eyes of almost everyone else, at one time or another, but not through the eyes of Nancy, which is why she is held by some to be a dea ex machina, or rather a moving spirit of the plot. Readers may admire Nancy, but nobody identifies themselves with her (my wife identifies with Susan, which is remarkable enough!)
The moment when we might most easily have seen things through Nancy's eyes, the arrival by motor launch in SW, is not written that way; rather, we are treated to John's anxiety over how Nancy's arrival will affect things.