Abstract: As an American psychological realism novelist with a strong sense of innovation, Henry James successfully applied the third person limited as the major point of view and the third person omniscient as the minor in the novel of What Maisie Knew. He focused on the visual experiences and mental activities of the center of consciousness that played the roles as register of impressions and little wonder-working agent. The transition from her looking to watching presented the cognitive growth. Meanwhile the mental activities of other media characters were depicted to keep the information completely delivered. The innovation had a tremendous influence on James’s late writing style, so What Maisie Knew was acknowledged to be the milestone in James’s writing career.

Key words: Henry James, What Maisie Knew, narrative perspective, cognitive growth