Taylor Swift’s companion song “Cardigan” is told from Betty’s perspective.
“Cardigan,” “august,” and “Betty” form a connected narrative on Folklore. Betty is the character whose relationship with James is disrupted by his summer romance with the unnamed narrator of “august.”
The three songs do not tell one story from a single viewpoint. “august” follows the other girl, “Betty” follows James, and “Cardigan” follows Betty as she reflects on the relationship and its emotional aftermath.
This structure is why listeners sometimes call the songs a trilogy or love-triangle sequence. The narrator of “august” is never explicitly named in the lyrics, although Swift imagined names such as Augusta or Augustine for her.