Point of View

The novel’s narration is written in the past tense and the third person. The only two point-of-view characters in the novel are Barry and Seema, meaning they are the only two characters whose thoughts and emotions are conveyed directly to the reader. However, the novel never gives the perspective of both Barry and Seema at the same time. The novel alternates the point of view by chapter, so in each given chapter, there is only one point-of-view character. For the most part, chapters alternate regularly back and forth Barry’s perspective and Seema’s perspective, although Barry’s chapters are longer overall. Notably, because Barry and Seema spend most of the novel apart, Barry’s perspective is shaped by his new experiences over a wide geographical area during his trip, while Seema’s experiences are shaped by personal and domestic tribulations in New York...