Kelly is an instructor of creative writing and composition. In this essay, Kelly makes the case that the effectiveness of "In the Kindergarten" is diminished by the story's inconsistent point of view.

Ha Jin's short story "In the Kindergarten" gives readers in-depth information about two main characters. One is five-year-old Shaona, who has been sent away to school recently, when she was replaced in her home by the birth of a baby brother. The other is her teacher, Shen, who is recently divorced from her husband and is recovering from an abortion. Both characters are fascinating in their own right, especially to Western readers who want to understand more about everyday life in China. Unfortunately, this story simply is not big enough to carry all of the information that is packed into it. It has one main character, Shaona. It explains her confusion, follows her growth, and...