Point of View

The stories in Sarahland are narrated predominantly in the past tense in first or third person, with one story, “Dream Palace,” narrated in second person. The collection revolves around the common theme of characters named Sarah. The stories “Sarahland” and “All the Teenaged Sarahs” both feature main characters who are young women named Sarah navigating confusion about their sexuality. “Sarahland” is narrated in first person, giving the reader direct access to Sarah's thoughts and feelings as she struggles to understand why she is different from the other girls in her dorm. “All the Teenaged Sarahs” is narrated in third person, creating a sense of remove between Sarah and the reader that mimics this character's uncertainty about her own identity. “Naked Furniture” is narrated in third person and also features a Sarah on a journey of self-discovery about her sexuality.

In “Exorcism, Or Eating My Twin...