Parallel Voices in Braided Lives The parallel voice is a device present in Marge Piercy's novel, Braided Lives. This technique reinforces the effect of Jill's past life on her future life and opinions. A gauge of the protagonist's growth is given by parallel voices, a technique that allows the reader to see how the protagonist has grown from teenager to adult. The parallel voices of the young and adult narrator provide insight into the changes in her life. . According to one critic, “Jill is a survivor and she chooses to examine her own past because of a strong commitment to the present” (Gold 378). The novel is a memoir of the adult Jill. It shows “the beginning and fruits of his political growth,” but he leaves the middle events to the reader’s imagination (Schwartz 379). She writes about her past experiences and how they affected her. She describes her experiences objectively. In her flashback, she can examine why she acted a certain way. The passage of time gives it this objectivity. Since she is looking...