Perspective

Jean Fritz writes in the first-person perspective. The reader experiences events and emotions through young Jean Guttery, who is ten years old at the beginning of the novel and twelve years old at the end. As an white American girl living in mainland China, Jean feels out of place and conflicted about her cultural identity, and the narrative often refers to these anxious feelings.

In the story, Jean appears to be transitioning from childhood to adulthood, a transition that is partly precipitated by the adult events she is suffering through (including the death of her baby sister and the violence of the Communist revolution). While a part of Jean simply wants to have fun and play childish games, another part of her is striving to establish an adult identity—in particular, she wishes to be a writer. Jean also becomes interested in boys by the end of...