comment on style/language

The novel is narrated in the first person present tense during Jaya’s sections and narrated in the first person past tense during Amisha’s sections. Jaya is a journalist and blogger, which is reflected in the language she uses. She often tells her story with journalistic objectivity. She explains her life situation with clear and concise language. Her blogging sections are straightforward. Her word choices are muted to reflect her deepening depression. When she experiences the first blackouts of her depression, she says, “I can feel the darkness swirl around me. I blink to keep focus, but for a few seconds everything goes black. I close my eyes and breathe deeply. When I open them, she’s staring at the table, her head downcast” (21). Amisha’s descriptions of the same blackout would naturally be much more colorful and likely be described in metaphor. That is not say Jaya does not use figurative language. When Jaya travels to India, her description becomes much more evocative to suit the sights and sounds of the new locale.