Point of View

This story is narrated from the first-person point of view of Daunis. Consider: “I start my day before sunrise, throwing on running clothes and laying a pinch of semaa at the eastern base of a tree, where sunlight will touch the tobacco first” (5). Daunis refers to herself as “I” indicating that she is narrating from the first person. The story is also told in the present tense, giving it a sense of urgency. The use of the first person also makes the reader feel as if he is part of the story as it is developing.

Daunis is a biased narrator. She voices her individual ideas about her life and the people she loves. She believes her brother is perfect. She fears her grandmother will criticize her when she says she is going to attend a community college instead of going straight to an out-of-state...