Point of View

Most of the novel is written strictly from the narrator's point of view. An important aspect of the novel's texture is that it is from Lily's point of view, and the reader can see that Lily does not always perceive things appropriately, even at the end of her life. She is a reliable narrator insofar as she is honestly telling her story the way she sees it.

During her childhood days, we are in the present tense with Lily and Snow Flower, as Lily narrates the stories of their lives. With the exception of the first chapter in which Lily is 80 years old, up until the last chapter, we are reviewing time that is in the past. Our reading experience of her life comes through her memories as she re-lives them.

Her culture is stifled, especially in regard to the value of women, but Lily, as...