Point of View

Kim uses alternate narration in order to provide a well-rounded perspective of the incidents surrounding the explosion at the Miracle Submarine. It is important to note that Young Yoo begins the narration in first-person, describing the fateful incident that leaves two people dead. Young leads with a powerful confession, “My husband asked me to lie” (5). This confession aligns the reader with Young, as she explains the circumstances surrounding both the lie and the fire. It is also the only first-person narration in the work. Although each section is told from the perspective of a particular character, this perspective is narrated in the third-person. Yet Kim begins with a declarative sentence regarding how that particular character is feeling, thus immediately providing a sense of intimacy with the character. Kim alternates narratives of the following characters: Young Yoo, Pak Yoo, Mary Yoo, Matt Thompson, Teresa Santiago, Elizabeth...