Point of View

Eduardo Halfon tells Mourning from the first person point of view of the narrator by the same name. Because the novel is interested in exploring the memories, heritage, and childhood of Eduardo, the first person perspective grants the reader immediate access to his consciousness. Eduardo's frequent drifts into reminiscences and patchy recollections of his parents', grandparents', and great-grandparents' lives work to define his narrative voice. Because all of the dialogue in the novel is embedded within the body of the narrative, and is not formatted with quotation marks, Eduardo's narrative voice takes on the voices of his companions, family members, friends, and guides. The novel's refusal to remain grounded in the narrative present, Eduardo's character takes shape through this litany of varied and overlapping histories. The reader, therefore, learns about and gradually grows to understand Eduardo through his perpetual shifts in consciousness. The first person...