Point of View

Born on a Tuesday is told from Dantala's point of view. At the beginning of the story, Dantala is a young boy entering adolescence. By the end of the novel, he has left that period of life. Although he is somewhat conservative due to his religion, Dantala is rarely judgmental and often prefers to understand people, rather than to judge them. For example, he writes: “Now that I am under the kuka tree, I know they are just like me and even though they don’t pray five times a day, some of them are kind, good people” (9). This quote is characteristic of Dantala’s own approach to religion, which is lenient and compassionate rather than dogmatic. He also writes: “We are not terrible people. When we fight, it is because we have to” (13). Dantala’s low position within his society allows the author to...