Point of View

The novel is written in first-person from the limited perspective of Valora Luck, a young girl who is the daughter of a Chinese father and British Mother. The limited perspective means the reader knows only Valora's thoughts and observations. Valora seems to be honest and seems to acknowledge her true feelings, even when it puts her in a poor light. The fact that she is familiar with both the Chinese and British cultures gives her a different perspective on situations, which is especially important as she moves between the first-class life of Mrs. Sloane and the third-class life of her brother.

Valora tends to go after what she wants without thinking through the situation. This is sometimes because of her immaturity and lack of experience. Both of those characteristics change for her during the course of her few days aboard the Titanic. Valora spends her...