Point of View

The story is told from the first-person, past-tense point of view of narrator and protagonist Regina Gottlieb. This places the reader in the center of the action – that is, in the middle of Regina’s experiences, feelings, and reactions. Perhaps, given that the story is essentially one of first love, “in the heart” might be a more accurate phrase. In any case, the key point to note about this stylistic choice has to do with the novel’s use of language – specifically, the way in which vocabulary, syntax, and phrasing reflect the identity, perspectives, and mind of the narrator. On one level, this specificity in point of view makes the narrative view limited, focused, and exclusive of full consideration of the perspectives and values of other characters: what is happening with Martha, for example, or Dutra, can only be interpreted by what Regina knows and...