What is the author's style in Dictee by Theresa Hak Kyung Cha?

The point of view of "Dictee" alternates between being third person and first person. Sometimes, the narrator speaks of events from a third person perspective, especially referring to the actions of an unnamed "she," but at other times, she describes the events in which she participates from a first person point of view. Both points of view are omniscient and reliable as demonstrated by the fact that she knows the thoughts and feelings of all of the characters within the book. This is important since "Dictee" does not contain dialogue; therefore, without the narrator's omniscience, the reader would be completely unaware of how the various characters think.

This book is written completely in exposition with absolutely no dialogue. This unusual method is used before one of the main themes of this book is the oppression and objectification of women. To emphasize this theme, the struggle to speak is another important motif that shows the way that women are treated and expected to behave. The lack of dialogue in "Dictee" enforces this silence by portraying many unnamed women without a voice. The viewpoint within this book varies between Cha and unnamed women. By appealing to the Muses, Cha invokes the presence of a Western female literary tradition.