Point of View

This story is told from the point of view of a third person omniscient narrator. There is no particular character of focus. This keeps the reader from getting connected to any of the characters since all of the characters have their own story to tell about life in the small Jamaican village. Had the author chosen a first person point of view or even had the third person narrator to focus on one character the story would not have been as complete since only one character’s point of view and opinions would have been shared in the novel.

Language and Meaning

Because the author copies the stylistic speech of the Jamaicans she can individualize her characters based on the way they speak. The less intelligent people, like Delores and Miss Ruby, speak with more patois than those with more schooling. Thandi, for instance, is...