Point of View

A Line in the Sand is written from the third person point of view. This third person narrator maintains an omniscient stance throughout the novel. This means that the narrator has access to all of the characters’ experiences and storylines, whether or not the characters are familiar or acquainted with one another. Throughout the novel, therefore, the narrator shifts her attention between the entire cast of characters, effectively granting the reader access to all of their private thoughts and intimate feelings. For example, in Chapter 1, the narrator opens with her attention on Arman Bajalan as he prepares for the day and heads to “the number 3 bus to take him to work at the motel on Ocean View” (5). While the narrator follows Arman’s perspective throughout Chapter 1, as soon as he calls the police after finding the body on the beach, the narrator shifts her attention...