Point of View

The novel is written in the omniscient third-person narrative. Though there is a character who uses “I” pronouns, it is unclear whether they are using first-person narration or if the character is named “I.” Regardless, this “I” could be anyone: it could be the reader, or someone that the reader can imagine telling them the story. Though the novel is in third-person, characters’ interior thoughts, feelings, and intentions are revealed. The focus of the narrative changes so often that no one character is the “main” character of the story. They are each equally important and have varying effects on the plot. The multiplicity of perspective between characters and the weaving of these stories keeps the story from adopting a linear timeline, with each character’s interiority driving the plot. This use of perspective reflects the novel’s commentary on colonialism. Instead of reifying a singular...