Parallel Voices in Intertwined Lives The parallel voice is a device featured in Marge Piercy's novel, Intertwined Lives. This technique reinforces the effect of Jill's past life on her future life and opinions. One indicator of the protagonist's growth is parallel entries, a technique that allows the reader to see how the protagonist developed from a teenager to an adult. The parallel voices of the young and adult narrator give insight into the changes that have occurred in his life. According to one critic, “Jill is a survivor and chooses to examine her past for a strong engagement with the present” (Gold 378). The novel is a memoir by the adult Jill. It shows “the beginning and fruits of his political growth,” but leaves the central events to the reader's imagination (Schwartz 379). She writes about her past experiences and how they have affected her. He describes his experiences objectively. In her flashback, she can examine why she acted a certain way. The passage of time provides her with this objectivity. Since he's watching...